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News Release Information

16-135-ATL
Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Consumer Price Index, South Region – December 2015

Prices down 0.4 percent over the month; up 0.5 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South decreased 0.4 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The energy index declined 2.7 percent over the month. The all items less food and energy, and food indexes were little changed in December, down 0.1 and 0.3 percent, respectively. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the all items CPI-U rose 0.5 percent. The all items less food and energy index advanced 2.0 percent over the year as several categories within this group recorded increases. (See chart 1.)

Food

The food index declined 0.3 percent in December. Prices for food at home decreased 0.7 percent over the month, while those for food away from home inched up 0.1 percent.

Since December 2014, the food index advanced 0.8 percent, reflecting higher prices for food away from home (2.6 percent). The food at home index declined 0.5 percent over the year.

Energy

The energy index decreased 2.7 percent in December, led by a 5.6-percent decline in motor fuel prices. The electricity and utility (piped) gas service indexes also decreased over the month, down 0.3 and 0.8 percent, respectively.

Over the year, energy prices fell 13.4 percent, reflecting a 22.6-percent drop in motor fuel prices. Prices for electricity (-2.8 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (-11.2 percent) also declined over the year.

All items less food and energy

The all items less food and energy index inched down 0.1 percent in December. A seasonal decline in apparel prices (-4.7 percent), was partially offset by an increase in prices for shelter (0.1 percent) over the month.

Since December 2014, the all items less food and energy index advanced 2.0 percent as several indexes recorded increases, most notably shelter (3.0 percent). Medical care, led by increases in both medical care services (2.7 percent) and medical care commodities (2.8 percent), rose 2.7 percent over the year. Other indexes with over-the-year increases included education and communication (1.9 percent) and other goods and services (1.6 percent).

Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20112012201320142015
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.51.70.53.20.41.60.31.7-0.7-0.4

February

0.52.20.63.30.91.80.41.20.5-0.3

March

1.22.80.72.80.31.50.61.50.6-0.3

April

0.73.40.42.5-0.20.90.52.30.3-0.6

May

0.54.0-0.41.60.01.30.22.40.4-0.4

June

-0.23.8-0.21.70.41.90.22.30.5-0.1

July

0.24.1-0.21.40.22.2-0.12.0-0.1-0.1

August

0.44.30.61.60.11.7-0.21.7-0.2-0.2

September

0.04.10.52.10.01.30.11.7-0.2-0.4

October

-0.23.7-0.22.1-0.21.3-0.31.60.0-0.1

November

0.03.8-0.51.6-0.31.5-0.61.3-0.20.3

December

-0.23.3-0.11.70.11.8-0.60.6-0.40.5

The Consumer Price Index for January 2016 is scheduled to be released on Friday, February 19, 2016.


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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 https://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 South region is comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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
South (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Oct.
2015
Nov.
2015
Dec.
2015
Dec.
2014
Oct.
2015
Nov.
2015

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

230.860230.422229.5810.5-0.6-0.4

All items (December 1977=100)

374.487373.776372.412---

Food and beverages

247.559246.957246.1250.8-0.6-0.3

Food

249.050248.396247.5430.8-0.6-0.3

Food at home

242.704241.401239.762-0.5-1.2-0.7

Food away from home

261.397261.693261.9922.60.20.1

Alcoholic beverages

226.136226.257225.7050.8-0.2-0.2

Housing

222.701222.564222.7101.90.00.1

Shelter

253.160253.487253.8153.00.30.1

Rent of primary residence (1)

260.738261.335261.6823.50.40.1

Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1) (2)

255.561256.092256.3982.80.30.1

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence (1) (2)

255.548256.079256.3872.80.30.1

Fuels and utilities

228.373225.933225.482-2.4-1.3-0.2

Household energy

186.316183.332182.721-4.2-1.9-0.3

Energy services (1)

186.709183.643183.050-3.9-2.0-0.3

Electricity (1)

186.767183.295182.834-2.8-2.1-0.3

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

170.886170.711169.306-11.2-0.9-0.8

Household furnishings and operations

121.789121.614121.533-0.5-0.2-0.1

Apparel

138.679136.716130.231-1.8-6.1-4.7

Transportation

193.612192.674190.467-4.6-1.6-1.1

Private transportation

191.369190.298188.175-4.8-1.7-1.1

New and used motor vehicles (3)

102.623102.111102.2620.2-0.40.1

New vehicles

152.584152.539153.011-0.20.30.3

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

103.853103.826104.155-0.20.30.3

New cars (4)

153.118152.684153.465-0.80.20.5

Used cars and trucks

145.776143.435142.8251.1-2.0-0.4

Motor fuel

186.574180.994170.941-22.6-8.4-5.6

Gasoline (all types)

185.552179.960169.930-22.3-8.4-5.6

Unleaded regular (4)

181.117175.445165.316-23.1-8.7-5.8

Unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

204.210199.105189.665-19.7-7.1-4.7

Unleaded premium (4)

203.732199.001189.917-17.6-6.8-4.6

Medical care

428.455429.361428.8592.70.1-0.1

Medical care commodities

346.080346.645344.4682.8-0.5-0.6

Medical care services

455.976457.012457.2462.70.30.1

Professional services

357.889358.863358.8521.20.30.0

Recreation (3)

115.958115.582115.8610.3-0.10.2

Education and communication (3)

137.002137.092137.0641.90.00.0

Other goods and services

410.318409.946410.0871.6-0.10.0
 

Commodity and service group

 
 

All Items

230.860230.422229.5810.5-0.6-0.4

Commodities

181.512180.266178.113-2.7-1.9-1.2

Commodities less food and beverages

150.198148.729146.106-5.0-2.7-1.8

Nondurables less food and beverages

191.118188.611183.278-7.4-4.1-2.8

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

224.198221.338216.563-9.2-3.4-2.2

Durables

111.006110.450110.173-1.4-0.8-0.3

Services

280.687281.024281.4432.60.30.1

Rent of shelter (2)

259.813260.134260.4303.00.20.1

Transportation services

314.114317.389318.4214.31.40.3

Other services

334.204334.801335.6622.70.40.3
 

Special aggregate indexes

 
 

All items less medical care

219.953219.462218.6160.3-0.6-0.4

All items less food

227.832227.427226.5890.4-0.5-0.4

All items less shelter

223.279222.521221.191-0.7-0.9-0.6

Commodities less food

152.553151.122148.549-4.8-2.6-1.7

Nondurables

217.990216.361213.102-3.2-2.2-1.5

Nondurables less food

192.866190.506185.442-6.9-3.8-2.7

Nondurables less food and apparel

223.245220.651216.256-8.4-3.1-2.0

Services less rent of shelter (2)

315.714316.082316.6682.10.30.2

Services less medical care services

264.730265.019265.4402.60.30.2

Energy

182.677178.574173.686-13.4-4.9-2.7

All items less energy

236.990236.962236.5731.8-0.2-0.2

All items less food and energy

235.281235.362235.0532.0-0.1-0.1

Commodities less food and energy commodities

149.114148.263146.744-0.9-1.6-1.0

Energy commodities

190.061184.518174.457-22.4-8.2-5.5

Services less energy services

290.545291.268291.8003.10.40.2

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) Index is 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.
 

- Data not available.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016