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News Release Information

19-1629-ATL
Thursday, September 12, 2019

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

Consumer Price Index, South Region – August 2019

Prices in the South down 0.1 percent over the month; up 1.4 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South declined 0.1 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Since July, the energy index fell 3.1 percent, while the all items less food and energy index edged up 0.2 percent. The food index was unchanged from July to August. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The all items CPI-U for the South increased 1.4 percent from August 2018 to August 2019. Over the year, the all items less food and energy index advanced 2.2 percent and the food index rose 1.5 percent. The energy index declined 5.7 percent over the 12-month period. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Food

The food index was unchanged from July to August. The food away from index edged up 0.2 percent since July, while the food at home index inched down 0.1 percent.

The food index rose 1.5 percent for the 12 months ending August 2019, led by a 3.2-percent increase in the food away from home index. The food at home index was little changed over the 12-month period, up 0.1 percent.

Energy

The energy index fell 3.1 percent in August, led by a 5.5-percent decline in the gasoline index. The electricity index was down 0.7 percent over the month, while the utility (piped) gas service index was up 1.2 percent.

The energy index was down 5.7 percent over the past 12 months, reflecting a 10.4 percent drop in the gasoline index. Since August 2018, the electricity and the utility (piped) gas service indexes rose slightly, up 0.1 and 0.4 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.2 percent in August. Several categories recorded increases, most notably medical care (0.5 percent), recreation (0.7 percent), and shelter (0.1 percent). In contrast, household furnishings and operations was among the indexes that declined from July to August, down 0.6 percent.  

Since August 2018, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent, reflecting increases in the shelter (3.2 percent) and medical care (2.8 percent) indexes.

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the three divisions of the South. The all items CPI-U for the West South Central division edged down 0.2 percent in August. Over the month, the all items index inched down 0.1 percent in both the East South Central and the South Atlantic divisions.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 1.8 percent in the South Atlantic division. The all items index rose 0.9 percent in the West South Central division and 0.6 percent in the East South Central division.


Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.7-0.40.01.20.52.60.51.80.21.2

February

0.5-0.30.10.70.22.80.62.10.51.1

March

0.6-0.30.60.70.02.20.22.30.71.6

April

0.3-0.60.40.90.22.00.42.40.51.8

May

0.4-0.40.40.90.01.70.32.7-0.11.4

June

0.5-0.10.40.80.21.50.22.7-0.11.1

July

-0.1-0.1-0.20.7-0.21.60.02.90.31.4

August

-0.2-0.20.11.00.41.9-0.12.4-0.11.4

September

-0.2-0.40.21.40.72.40.01.7

October

0.0-0.10.11.5-0.22.00.22.1

November

-0.20.3-0.11.6-0.12.1-0.31.9

December

-0.40.50.12.0-0.11.8-0.51.5

The Consumer Price Index for September 2019 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, October 10, 2019.


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 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 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

IndexesPercent change from-
Jun.
2019
Jul.
2019
Aug.
2019
Aug.
2018
Jun.
2019
Jul.
2019

Expenditure category

All Items

246.515247.250246.9531.40.2-0.1

All items (December 1977=100)

399.882401.075400.593---

Food and beverages

254.350254.928255.0371.60.30.0

Food

255.594256.133256.2051.50.20.0

Food at home

238.216238.910238.5780.10.2-0.1

Cereal and bakery products

280.509282.345281.4651.20.3-0.3

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

242.066244.064243.047-0.80.4-0.4

Dairy and related products

220.435219.642220.224-0.1-0.10.3

Fruits and vegetables

282.523284.617283.586-0.50.4-0.4

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

166.934166.842168.5732.21.01.0

Other food at home

210.788210.251209.4200.0-0.6-0.4

Food away from home

284.053284.385285.0223.20.30.2

Alcoholic beverages

236.610237.757238.4162.90.80.3

Housing

244.805245.364245.3242.80.20.0

Shelter

282.573283.058283.3833.20.30.1

Rent of primary residence

294.996295.659296.8433.50.60.4

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)

283.865284.649285.2973.20.50.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)

283.870284.657285.3063.20.50.2

Fuels and utilities

240.276242.012241.3330.40.4-0.3

Household energy

193.370194.951194.026-0.10.3-0.5

Energy services

193.668195.334194.4800.10.4-0.4

Electricity

192.670194.543193.2670.10.3-0.7

Utility (piped) gas service

183.978184.077186.2130.41.21.2

Household furnishings and operations

125.599125.685124.8882.6-0.6-0.6

Apparel

133.527131.962133.1482.0-0.30.9

Transportation

210.716212.724209.909-2.2-0.4-1.3

Private transportation

209.434211.737208.988-2.3-0.2-1.3

New and used motor vehicles(2)

102.289102.721102.8800.20.60.2

New vehicles

153.715153.361153.058-0.4-0.4-0.2

New cars and trucks(2)(3)

104.643104.396104.190-0.4-0.4-0.2

New cars(3)

153.831153.438153.1360.0-0.5-0.2

Used cars and trucks

141.785143.788145.1031.82.30.9

Motor fuel

219.998227.170214.791-10.3-2.4-5.4

Gasoline (all types)

218.734226.040213.538-10.4-2.4-5.5

Unleaded regular(3)

213.270220.592207.977-10.7-2.5-5.7

Unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

242.758250.147238.442-8.7-1.8-4.7

Unleaded premium(3)

241.315247.567237.503-7.9-1.6-4.1

Motor vehicle insurance(5)

948.277951.188951.1890.70.30.0

Medical care

470.823472.693475.2832.80.90.5

Medical care commodities

355.674357.008357.260-2.30.40.1

Medical care services

509.713511.765515.1654.11.10.7

Professional services

366.162366.081366.6420.50.10.2

Recreation(2)

119.903119.585120.3791.60.40.7

Education and communication(2)

132.851132.881133.0220.10.10.1

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)

1,334.3251,337.1551,343.4412.20.70.5

Other goods and services

429.206430.820431.2841.20.50.1

Commodity and service group

All Items

246.515247.250246.9531.40.2-0.1

Commodities

184.721185.556184.500-0.5-0.1-0.6

Commodities less food and beverages

151.894152.777151.369-1.7-0.3-0.9

Nondurables less food and beverages

199.459201.217197.940-3.3-0.8-1.6

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

240.140243.673237.980-4.7-0.9-2.3

Durables

108.178108.433108.3250.20.1-0.1

Services

308.723309.341309.8562.60.40.2

Rent of shelter(1)

290.195290.719291.0753.30.30.1

Transportation services

361.128361.192360.3850.8-0.2-0.2

Other services

344.677344.499345.9161.20.40.4

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

234.265234.940234.5021.20.1-0.2

All items less food

244.857245.621245.2691.40.2-0.1

All items less shelter

233.494234.326233.7930.60.1-0.2

Commodities less food

154.478155.372154.002-1.5-0.3-0.9

Nondurables

225.494226.716224.984-0.8-0.2-0.8

Nondurables less food

201.337203.063199.989-2.9-0.7-1.5

Nondurables less food and apparel

238.702242.033236.860-4.1-0.8-2.1

Services less rent of shelter(1)

341.725342.479343.2041.90.40.2

Services less medical care services

290.585291.088291.3762.40.30.1

Energy

201.518205.779199.306-5.7-1.1-3.1

All items less energy

252.362252.700253.1012.10.30.2

All items less food and energy

252.205252.511252.9682.20.30.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

146.715146.750146.9120.50.10.1

Energy commodities

223.645230.758218.307-10.2-2.4-5.4

Services less energy services

320.880321.382322.0472.80.40.2

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) 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.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 12, 2019