Prices in the Midwest Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 0.3 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The February increase was most influenced by higher prices for all items less food and energy. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U increased 2.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent over the year. Food prices rose 1.4 percent. Energy prices increased 2.6 percent, largely the result of higher prices for gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices advanced 0.3 percent for the month of February. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home increased 0.6 percent and prices for food away from home were unchanged for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.4 percent. Prices for food at home increased 0.6 percent since a year agoand prices for food away from home were 2.4 percent higher.

Energy

The energy index decreased 2.1 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-3.9 percent). Prices for natural gas service declined 1.3 percent, while prices for electricity inched up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Energy prices increased 2.6 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (5.6 percent). Prices paid for electricity edged up 0.2 percent, while prices for natural gas service decreased 2.2 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.5 percent in February. The February increase was broad-based and included higher prices for medical care services (1.3 percent), new and used motor vehicles (0.8 percent), and apparel (1.6 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent. Components contributing to the increase included higher prices for shelter (3.1 percent) and medical care services (5.9 percent). Declining prices in apparel (-2.4 percent) did little to offset the increases.

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2016		2017		2018		2019		2020
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.3	0.8	0.7	2.2	0.6	1.6	0.2	0.8	0.4	2.5
February	0.0	0.4	0.2	2.4	0.2	1.7	0.7	1.3	0.3	2.1
March	0.6	0.5	0.1	1.9	0.2	1.8	0.6	1.7
April	0.4	0.8	0.4	1.8	0.4	1.8	0.3	1.5
May	0.4	0.8	0.0	1.4	0.5	2.3	0.3	1.3
June	0.6	0.8	0.0	0.9	0.2	2.5	0.0	1.2
July	-0.5	0.4	0.0	1.3	0.0	2.4	0.2	1.5
August	0.1	0.6	0.3	1.5	0.0	2.1	0.0	1.5
September	0.2	1.1	0.3	1.5	0.1	1.9	0.0	1.4
October	-0.1	1.0	-0.2	1.5	0.1	2.2	0.2	1.5
November	-0.3	1.2	0.2	1.9	-0.6	1.4	-0.2	1.9
December	0.1	1.8	-0.2	1.7	-0.4	1.3	0.0	2.3

The March 2020 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on April 10, 2020.

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments–department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Midwest Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes			Percent change from
	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020	Feb. 2019	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020
All items	238.734	239.690	240.421	2.1	0.7	0.3
All items (December 1977 = 100)	388.433	389.988	391.178
Food and beverages	248.802	249.749	250.546	1.4	0.7	0.3
Food	248.223	249.149	249.998	1.4	0.7	0.3
Food at home	227.074	228.471	229.829	0.6	1.2	0.6
Cereals and bakery products	255.745	258.395	259.049	-0.5	1.3	0.3
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	250.039	249.974	250.342	1.7	0.1	0.1
Dairy and related products	200.690	198.996	204.018	5.3	1.7	2.5
Fruits and vegetables	266.927	273.091	270.704	-2.1	1.4	-0.9
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	163.199	164.544	165.660	-0.8	1.5	0.7
Other food at home	196.659	197.375	199.839	1.0	1.6	1.2
Food away from home	283.025	283.255	283.349	2.4	0.1	0.0
Alcoholic beverages	254.606	255.820	255.963	0.6	0.5	0.1
Housing	234.889	235.848	236.473	2.4	0.7	0.3
Shelter	283.184	284.095	285.087	3.1	0.7	0.3
Rent of primary residence(1)	283.508	284.503	285.103	3.3	0.6	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)	288.794	289.737	290.183	3.1	0.5	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)	288.732	289.674	290.119	3.1	0.5	0.2
Fuels and utilities	218.912	220.145	219.893	0.3	0.4	-0.1
Household energy	175.374	176.012	175.612	-0.6	0.1	-0.2
Energy services(1)	181.397	182.261	181.800	-0.6	0.2	-0.3
Electricity(1)	195.839	197.280	197.750	0.2	1.0	0.2
Utility (piped) gas service(1)	146.584	146.477	144.572	-2.2	-1.4	-1.3
Household furnishings and operations	115.164	116.081	116.200	0.3	0.9	0.1
Apparel	111.711	113.913	115.759	-2.4	3.6	1.6
Transportation	200.968	201.165	200.811	1.8	-0.1	-0.2
Private transportation	196.613	196.607	196.078	2.0	-0.3	-0.3
New and used motor vehicles(3)	96.680	96.750	97.548	0.1	0.9	0.8
New vehicles	138.099	137.921	138.832	1.2	0.5	0.7
New cars and trucks(3)(4)	97.634	97.498	98.139	1.1	0.5	0.7
New cars(4)	134.600	134.980	136.468	2.1	1.4	1.1
Used cars and trucks	135.959	134.978	136.400	-1.2	0.3	1.1
Motor fuel	226.932	225.542	216.693	5.5	-4.5	-3.9
Gasoline (all types)	225.330	224.003	215.217	5.6	-4.5	-3.9
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)	219.041	217.738	209.022	5.6	-4.6	-4.0
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	262.622	260.923	251.190	6.4	-4.4	-3.7
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)	251.566	250.064	242.390	5.8	-3.6	-3.1
Motor vehicle insurance(6)	738.741	738.436	749.097	0.3	1.4	1.4
Medical care	505.493	507.573	512.813	4.3	1.4	1.0
Medical care commodities	387.320	382.508	382.459	-2.2	-1.3	0.0
Medical care services	545.161	549.439	556.381	5.9	2.1	1.3
Professional services	422.628	423.023	425.728	1.0	0.7	0.6
Recreation(3)	123.028	123.725	123.761	2.3	0.6	0.0
Education and communication(3)	138.550	138.804	139.094	0.9	0.4	0.2
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)	1,198.388	1,198.577	1,200.416	0.0	0.2	0.2
Other goods and services	439.894	442.284	444.148	2.8	1.0	0.4
Commodity and service group
Commodities	178.697	179.077	179.188	1.0	0.3	0.1
Commodities less food and beverages	145.246	145.404	145.262	0.7	0.0	-0.1
Nondurables less food and beverages	191.477	192.027	190.834	1.3	-0.3	-0.6
Durables	101.094	101.002	101.500	-0.1	0.4	0.5
Services	300.727	302.305	303.715	2.9	1.0	0.5
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter	225.207	226.182	226.830	1.7	0.7	0.3
All items less medical care	226.104	227.006	227.518	1.9	0.6	0.2
Commodities less food	148.614	148.801	148.666	0.7	0.0	-0.1
Nondurables	219.594	220.336	220.085	1.4	0.2	-0.1
Nondurables less food	194.827	195.416	194.311	1.3	-0.3	-0.6
Services less rent of shelter(2)	328.666	331.000	332.903	2.6	1.3	0.6
Services less medical care services	282.494	283.863	284.835	2.4	0.8	0.3
Energy	198.773	198.499	194.298	2.6	-2.3	-2.1
All items less energy	245.661	246.743	247.941	2.1	0.9	0.5
All items less food and energy	245.930	247.043	248.306	2.2	1.0	0.5
Footnotes (1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. (2) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.