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News Release Information

22-625-SAN
Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, West Region — March 2022

Area prices were up 1.3 percent over the past month, up 8.7 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 1.3 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The March increase was influenced by higher prices for gasoline. (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 rose 8.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This was the largest over-the-year increase in the CPI-U for the West Region since February 1982. Food prices advanced 8.9 percent. Energy prices jumped 33.4 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 6.8 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, West Region, March 2019-March 2022
Food

Food prices increased 0.9 percent for the month of March. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home increased 1.7 percent. The other food at home category as well as meats, poultry, fish, and eggs advanced 2.3 percent each. Prices for food away from home decreased 0.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 8.9 percent. Prices for food at home rose 11.2 percent since a year ago. Price increases ranged from 6.9 percent for dairy and related products to 14.4 percent for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs. Prices for food away from home advanced 5.8 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 13.1 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (20.3 percent). Prices for electricity advanced 4.3 percent, but prices for natural gas service decreased 0.3 percent for the same period.

Energy prices jumped 33.4 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (47.1 percent). Prices paid for natural gas service jumped 20.0 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 13.7 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in March. Higher prices for recreation (1.0 percent) and shelter (0.5 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for used cars and trucks (-1.6 percent), new vehicles (-0.9), and education and communication (-0.3 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 6.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included new and used motor vehicles (20.8 percent), household furnishings and operations (9.6 percent), and shelter (5.5 percent).

Table A. West region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20182019202020212022
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.53.10.22.70.32.90.21.40.97.7

February

0.53.10.22.40.43.10.51.60.88.1

March

0.43.20.42.4-0.22.50.72.41.38.7

April

0.43.20.82.9-0.41.31.03.9

May

0.53.50.52.90.10.80.84.7

June

0.23.60.02.70.41.20.95.1

July

0.13.60.02.70.51.70.65.2

August

0.23.60.12.60.31.90.25.0

September

0.33.40.32.60.01.60.25.3

October

0.43.50.52.80.21.20.86.0

November

-0.23.3-0.12.80.01.40.56.5

December

-0.23.1-0.22.8-0.11.50.47.1

The April 2022 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on May 11, 2022.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measures 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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

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

IndexesPercent change from-
Historical
data
Jan.
2022
Feb.
2022
Mar.
2022
Mar.
2021
Jan.
2022
Feb.
2022

Expenditure category

All Items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0
298.705301.158305.0828.72.11.3

All items (December 1977=100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400AA0
482.840486.805493.149   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF
301.058304.228306.8188.61.90.9

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF1
302.139305.426308.0848.92.00.9

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF11
284.701288.722293.49611.23.11.7

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF111
287.445289.271294.1398.92.31.7

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF112
318.325319.495326.70414.42.62.3

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEFJ
253.776259.727260.5896.92.70.3

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF113
369.795375.946378.22710.32.30.6

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF114
199.200203.121206.73010.03.81.8

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF115
238.889243.433248.92012.24.22.3

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEFV
324.676326.611325.5355.80.3-0.3

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAF116
283.610285.027286.6154.91.10.6

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH
327.420329.267331.4286.61.20.7

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH1
374.169376.280378.2245.51.10.5

Rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHA
396.584398.598400.1974.50.90.4

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHC
394.239395.783397.4575.10.80.4

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHC01
394.073395.614397.2865.10.80.4

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH2
361.102360.162368.27612.42.02.3

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH21
311.805309.516319.82715.42.63.3

Energy services(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHF
313.231310.804320.63014.92.43.2

Electricity(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHF01
340.175341.086355.79413.74.64.3

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEHF02
269.601259.426258.68320.0-4.0-0.3

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAH3
149.800151.716152.2239.61.60.3

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAA
118.771123.871124.6408.64.90.6

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAT
258.937261.970274.44622.76.04.8

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAT1
258.917261.597273.82023.15.84.7

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETA
126.103126.930126.16320.80.0-0.6

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETA01
169.151169.586168.02911.3-0.7-0.9

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS4501A
117.548117.856116.75511.4-0.7-0.9

New cars(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS45011
166.812167.061165.81211.4-0.6-0.7

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETA02
200.995202.981199.73134.4-0.6-1.6

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETB
331.018337.333405.78947.322.620.3

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SETB01
329.754335.897403.99447.122.520.3

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS47014
326.446332.621401.20548.022.920.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS47015
314.575320.157382.28845.421.519.4

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SS47016
321.979327.605389.37743.620.918.9

Medical Care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAM
555.913561.235562.2153.81.10.2

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAM1
430.046433.685431.5415.20.3-0.5

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAM2
594.822600.663602.6023.51.30.3

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEMC
384.595386.503386.1692.70.4-0.1

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAR
122.247122.253123.4305.81.01.0

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAE
141.489141.868141.4151.0-0.1-0.3

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SEEB
1,560.8891,563.3781,564.4033.80.20.1

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAG
485.277490.764493.2794.41.60.5

Commodity and Service Group

All Items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0
298.705301.158305.0828.72.11.3

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAC
214.940217.767222.59713.93.62.2

Commodities less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACL11
171.863174.406179.75817.54.63.1

Nondurables less food & beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL11
217.600221.901238.36019.39.57.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL113
286.939290.886317.73622.410.79.2

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAD
128.030129.329127.98916.00.0-1.0

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS
375.241377.199380.0095.71.30.7

Rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS2RS
398.654400.918403.0065.61.10.5

Transportation services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS4
325.189329.493336.3888.53.42.1

Other services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAS367
379.121379.258381.5403.70.60.6

Special aggregate indexes:

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L5
286.903289.227293.2609.12.21.4

All items less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L1
298.300300.624304.7488.72.21.4

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L2
269.099271.700276.44610.52.71.7

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACL1
176.209178.753184.07816.94.53.0

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SAN
259.513263.290273.10313.25.23.7

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL1
222.681226.845242.56318.18.96.9

Nondurables less food and apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SANL13
286.167289.879314.41220.69.98.5

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SASL2RS
387.531389.312393.3975.91.51.0

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SASL5
359.907361.605364.4665.91.30.8

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0E
328.641331.185374.64833.414.013.1

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0LE
299.195301.662303.0237.11.30.5

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SA0L1E
299.513301.848302.9936.81.20.4

Commodities less food and energy commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACL1E
159.310161.474160.89011.41.0-0.4

Energy commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SACE
337.488343.844412.86447.122.320.1

Services less energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0400SASLE
380.301382.519384.9385.31.20.6

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. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2022