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News Release Information

18-265-ATL
Wednesday, February 14, 2018

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

Consumer Price Index, South Region – January 2018

Prices in the South up 0.5 percent over the month and 1.8 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South increased 0.5 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.4 percent over the pricing period. Over the month, the energy index advanced 1.9 percent and the food index was up 0.4 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The all items CPI-U increased 1.8 percent for the 12 months ending January. The all items less food and energy index moved up 1.6 percent over the last year, and the energy index advanced 4.4 percent. The food index rose 1.4 percent since January 2017. (See chart 1.)

Food

The food index was up 0.4 percent in January. Prices for food at home rose 0.5 percent, largely due to a 2.2-percent increase in prices for fruits and vegetables. Prices for food away from home edged up 0.3 percent over the month.

The food index rose 1.4 percent since January 2017, reflecting price increases for food away from home (1.9 percent) and for food at home (1.0 percent).

Energy

The energy index increased 1.9 percent in January, fueled by a 3.9-percent increase in motor fuel prices. In contrast, utility (piped) gas service prices decreased 1.4 percent and electricity prices inched down 0.1 percent over the month.

From January 2017—January 2018, the energy index advanced 4.4 percent, reflecting a 6.7-percent increase for motor fuel prices. Prices for electricity and for utility (piped) gas service also increased over the year, up 1.8 percent each.

All items less food and energy

The all items less food and energy index rose 0.4 percent in January. The medical care services index—up 1.5 percent—contributed to a 1.1 percent increase in the medical care index. The index for shelter also increased over the month, edging up 0.3 percent.

Since January 2017, the all items less food and energy index advanced 1.6 percent, led by an increase in the shelter index (3.3 percent).

 

Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20142015201620172018
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.31.7-0.7-0.40.01.20.52.60.51.8

February

0.41.20.5-0.30.10.70.22.8  

March

0.61.50.6-0.30.60.70.02.2  

April

0.52.30.3-0.60.40.90.22.0  

May

0.22.40.4-0.40.40.90.01.7  

June

0.22.30.5-0.10.40.80.21.5  

July

-0.12.0-0.1-0.1-0.20.7-0.21.6  

August

-0.21.7-0.2-0.20.11.00.41.9  

September

0.11.7-0.2-0.40.21.40.72.4  

October

-0.31.60.0-0.10.11.5-0.22.0  

November

-0.61.3-0.20.3-0.11.6-0.12.1  

December

-0.60.6-0.40.50.12.0-0.11.8  

The Consumer Price Index for February 2018 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.


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 94 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 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 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 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-
Nov.
2017
Dec.
2017
Jan.
2018
Jan.
2017
Nov.
2017
Dec.
2017

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

238.861238.512239.7721.80.40.5

All items (December 1977=100)

387.466386.900388.943---

Food and beverages

248.635248.924249.8151.40.50.4

Food

249.842250.183251.1271.40.50.4

Food at home

237.402237.328238.4221.00.40.5

Cereal and bakery products

-276.232279.047--1.0

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

-243.586241.320---0.9

Dairy and related products

-220.368219.988---0.2

Fruits and vegetables

-283.123289.347--2.2

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

-164.438166.650--1.3

Other food at home

-209.471209.633--0.1

Food away from home

271.257272.220272.9701.90.60.3

Alcoholic beverages

231.470230.971231.0761.0-0.20.0

Housing

233.922234.271235.0712.80.50.3

Shelter

269.154269.585270.4133.30.50.3

Rent of primary residence(1)

280.416281.130281.7313.80.50.2

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

271.409272.057272.4873.20.40.2

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

271.399272.048272.4793.20.40.2

Fuels and utilities

234.510235.016234.8242.10.1-0.1

Household energy

189.294189.637189.3832.00.0-0.1

Energy services(1)

189.437189.726189.2401.8-0.1-0.3

Electricity(1)

186.678186.756186.6091.80.0-0.1

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

192.311193.989191.2081.8-0.6-1.4

Household furnishings and operations

119.831119.787121.071-0.51.01.1

Apparel

133.839128.781128.360-2.2-4.1-0.3

Transportation

204.911203.612206.2882.50.71.3

Private transportation

203.293202.308205.3402.91.01.5

New and used motor vehicles(3)

100.289100.897101.344-1.11.10.4

New vehicles

151.892152.588153.484-1.51.00.6

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

103.408103.882104.496-1.61.10.6

New cars(4)

150.642151.448152.796-2.11.40.9

Used cars and trucks

136.154137.368137.686-0.31.10.2

Motor fuel

212.195206.326214.2786.71.03.9

Gasoline (all types)

211.068205.114213.0056.50.93.8

Unleaded regular(4)

205.868199.823207.7586.40.94.0

Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

233.987228.878236.2137.41.03.2

Unleaded premium(4)

232.394227.681234.3247.10.82.9

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

-903.749919.295--1.7

Medical care

455.694456.631461.6912.31.31.1

Medical care commodities

366.296369.725369.0460.50.8-0.2

Medical care services

485.746485.668492.7242.81.41.5

Professional services

358.429358.408357.919-2.6-0.1-0.1

Recreation(3)

117.348116.768116.8020.0-0.50.0

Education and communication(3)

132.893132.795132.601-2.8-0.2-0.1

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

-1,305.6301,301.206---0.3

Other goods and services

422.145422.957425.2612.10.70.5
 

Commodity and service group

 
 

All Items

238.861238.512239.7721.80.40.5

Commodities

181.684180.850182.2200.60.30.8

Commodities less food and beverages

150.004148.744150.2140.00.11.0

Nondurables less food and beverages

197.260194.085196.7951.5-0.21.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

236.501234.263238.6802.60.91.9

Durables

106.502106.710107.269-1.90.70.5

Services

296.320296.436297.5602.60.40.4

Rent of shelter(2)

276.291276.796277.6423.30.50.3

Transportation services

350.021347.940350.3834.20.10.7

Other services

338.771338.649338.585-0.4-0.10.0
 

Special aggregate indexes

 
 

All items less medical care

227.011226.605227.6711.80.30.5

All items less food

236.934236.480237.7851.90.40.6

All items less shelter

228.032227.358228.7841.10.30.6

Commodities less food

152.505151.259152.7060.10.11.0

Nondurables

221.593220.076221.9591.50.20.9

Nondurables less food

198.981195.950198.5251.5-0.21.3

Nondurables less food and apparel

234.960232.872236.9342.50.81.7

Services less rent of shelter(2)

330.741330.365331.8641.70.30.5

Services less medical care services

279.182279.309279.9672.50.30.2

Energy

195.457193.046196.7894.40.71.9

All items less energy

244.510244.387245.3701.60.40.4

All items less food and energy

243.990243.786244.7761.60.30.4

Commodities less food and energy commodities

145.529144.896145.423-1.2-0.10.4

Energy commodities

215.880210.116218.2796.81.13.9

Services less energy services

307.599307.695308.9952.60.50.4

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.
 

- 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, February 14, 2018