CPI December 2021
CPI December 2021
CPI December 2021
Increases in the indexes for shelter and for used cars and trucks were the largest contributors to the
seasonally adjusted all items increase. The food index also contributed, although it increased less than in
recent months, rising 0.5 percent in December. The energy index declined in December, ending a long
series of increases; it fell 0.4 percent as the indexes for gasoline and natural gas both decreased.
The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.6 percent in December following a 0.5-percent
increase in November. This was the sixth time in the last 9 months it has increased at least 0.5 percent.
Along with the indexes for shelter and for used cars and trucks, the indexes for household furnishings
and operations, apparel, new vehicles, and medical care all increased in December. As in November, the
indexes for motor vehicle insurance and recreation were among the few to decline over the month.
The all items index rose 7.0 percent for the 12 months ending December, the largest 12-month increase
since the period ending June 1982. The all items less food and energy index rose 5.5 percent, the largest
12-month change since the period ending February 1991. The energy index rose 29.3 percent over the
last year, and the food index increased 6.3 percent.
Chart 1. One-month percent change in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), seasonally adjusted, Dec. 2020 - Dec. 2021
Percent change
0.9 0.9
0.9 0.8 0.8
0.8
0.7 0.6 0.6
0.6 0.5 0.5
0.5 0.4 0.4
0.4 0.3 0.3
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.0
Dec'20 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec'21
Chart 2. 12-month percent change in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), not seasonally adjusted, Dec. 2020 - Dec. 2021
Percent change
1
Dec'20 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec'21
Table A. Percent changes in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average
1
Not seasonally adjusted.
-2-
Food
The food index increased 0.5 percent in December following larger increases in each of the three
previous months. The food at home index increased 0.4 percent in December after rising 0.8 percent in
November. Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in December. The index for
fruits and vegetables increased the most, rising 0.9 percent over the month as the index for fresh fruits
increased 1.8 percent. The index for nonalcoholic beverages rose 0.8 percent in December, and the index
for dairy and related products increased 0.7 percent. The index for other food at home rose 0.6 percent,
and the index for cereals and bakery products increased 0.4 percent over the month.
The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs declined in December, falling 0.4 percent after rising at least
0.7 percent in each of the last 7 months. The indexes for beef (-2.0 percent) and pork (-0.8 percent)
declined after recent sharp increases.
The food away from home index rose 0.6 percent in December, the same increase as in November. The
index for full service meals rose 0.8 percent, and the index for limited service meals advanced 0.6
percent over the month.
The food at home index rose 6.5 percent over the last 12 months; this compares to a 1.5-percent annual
increase over the last 10 years. All of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the
period. By far the largest increase was that of the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, which rose
12.5 percent over the year despite falling in December. The index for dairy and related products
increased 1.6 percent, the smallest increase among the groups.
The index for food away from home rose 6.0 percent over the last year, the largest increase since
January 1982. The index for limited service meals rose 8.0 percent over the last 12 months, and the
index for full service meals rose 6.6 percent. The index for food at employee sites and schools, in
contrast, declined 49.3 percent over the past 12 months, reflecting widespread free lunch programs.
Energy
The energy index declined 0.4 percent in December; this followed a 3.5-percent increase in November
and was its first decrease since April 2021. The gasoline index fell 0.5 percent in December after rising
6.1 percent in both November and October. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices fell 2.2 percent
in December.) The index for natural gas also declined in December, falling 1.2 percent after rising in
each of the last 10 months. The electricity index, in contrast, rose in December, increasing 0.3 percent,
the same increase as in November.
The energy index rose 29.3 percent over the past 12 months with all major energy component indexes
increasing. The gasoline index rose 49.6 percent over the last year. The index for natural gas rose 24.1
percent over the last 12 months, and the electricity index rose 6.3 percent.
The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.6 percent in December. The shelter index increased
0.4 percent in December as the indexes for rent and owners’ equivalent rent both rose 0.4 percent, the
same increases as in November and October. The index for used cars and trucks continued to rise,
advancing 3.5 percent in December after increasing 2.5 percent in each of the prior 2 months.
-3-
The index for household furnishings and operations rose 1.1 percent over the month as the indexes for
furniture and bedding and for housekeeping supplies increased. The apparel index rose 1.7 percent over
the month, its largest increase since January 2021. The index for new vehicles continued to rise,
increasing 1.0 percent in December; this was its eighth consecutive monthly increase of at least 1.0
percent.
The medical care index rose 0.3 percent in December. The index for hospital services increased 0.2
percent and the index for prescription drugs rose 0.1 percent, while the index for physicians’ services
was unchanged. Other indexes that rose in December include airline fares (+2.7 percent), personal care
(+0.5 percent), tobacco (+0.7 percent), and education (+0.1 percent).
In contrast to these increases, the motor vehicle insurance index fell 1.5 percent in December after
declining 0.8 percent the prior month. The recreation index fell 0.2 percent in December, the same
decline as last month. The communication index was unchanged over the month.
The index for all items less food and energy rose 5.5 percent over the past 12 months, its largest 12-
month increase since the period ending February 1991. Major contributors to this increase include
shelter (+4.1 percent) and used cars and trucks (+37.3 percent). However, the increase is broad-based,
with virtually all component indexes showing increases over the past 12 months.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 7.0 percent over the last 12
months to an index level of 278.802 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.3 percent prior
to seasonal adjustment.
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 7.8
percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 273.925 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index
rose 0.3 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.
The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 6.9 percent over the
last 12 months. For the month, the index increased 0.3 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please
note that the indexes for the past 10 to 12 months are subject to revision.
_______________
The Consumer Price Index for January 2022 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, February
10, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on December 2021 Consumer Price Index Data
Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended
almost entirely since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit
were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in December was affected
by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors
resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed.
While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on
smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally
published were not published this month.
For each month from March 2020 to December 2021, BLS has published a summary of the impact
of the pandemic on the Consumer Price Index news release and data. The impact summary for
December is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/consumer-price-index-covid19-impacts-december-
2021.htm. Beginning with publication of January 2022 data in February 2022, this month-specific
impact summary will be discontinued. However, information related to the impact of the pandemic
will continue to be available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-
price-index.htm.
Technical Note
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included in the index. Prices of fuels and a few other items are obtained every month in all 75 locations.
Prices of most other commodities and services are collected every month in the three largest geographic
areas and every other month in other areas. Prices of most goods and services are obtained by personal
visits or telephone calls by the Bureau’s trained representatives.
In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are aggregated using
weights, which represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local
data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. For the CPI-U and CPI-W, separate indexes are
also published by size of city, by region of the country, for cross-classifications of regions and
population-size classes, and for 23 selected local areas. Area indexes do not measure differences in the
level of prices among cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base
period. For the C-CPI-U, data are issued only at the national level. The CPI-U and CPI-W are
considered final when released, but the C-CPI-U is issued in preliminary form and subject to three
subsequent quarterly revisions.
The index measures price change from a designed reference date. For most of the CPI-U and the CPI-W,
the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. The reference base for the C-CPI-U is December 1999 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.
Sampling Error in the CPI
The CPI is a statistical estimate that is subject to sampling error because it is based upon a sample of
retail prices and not the complete universe of all prices. BLS calculates and publishes estimates of the 1-
month, 2-month, 6-month, and 12-month percent change standard errors annually for the CPI-U. These
standard error estimates can be used to construct confidence intervals for hypothesis testing. For
example, the estimated standard error of the 1-month percent change is 0.03 percent for the U.S. all
items CPI. This means that if we repeatedly sample from the universe of all retail prices using the same
methodology, and estimate a percentage change for each sample, then 95 percent of these estimates will
be within 0.06 percent of the 1-month percentage change based on all retail prices. For example, for a 1-
month change of 0.2 percent in the all items CPI-U, we are 95 percent confident that the actual percent
change based on all retail prices would fall between 0.14 and 0.26 percent. For the latest data, including
information on how to use the estimates of standard error, see https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/variance-
estimates/home.htm.
Calculating Index Changes
Movements of the indexes from 1 month to another are usually expressed as percent changes rather than
changes in index points, because index point changes are affected by the level of the index in relation to
its base period, while percent changes are not. The following table shows an example of using index
values to calculate percent changes:
Item A Item B Item C
Year I 112.500 225.000 110.000
Year II 121.500 243.000 128.000
Change in index
9.000 18.000 18.000
points
Percent change 9.0/112.500 x 100 = 8.0 18.0/225.000 x 100 = 8.0 18.0/110.000 x 100 = 16.4
-6-
Use of Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) produces both unadjusted and seasonally adjusted data. Seasonally
adjusted data are computed using seasonal factors derived by the X-13ARIMA-SEATS seasonal
adjustment method. These factors are updated each February, and the new factors are used to revise the
previous 5 years of seasonally adjusted data. The factors are available at
www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/seasonal-adjustment/seasonal-factors-2021.xlsx. For more information on data
revision scheduling, please see the Factsheet on Seasonal Adjustment at www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-
adjustment/questions-and-answers.htm and the Timeline of Seasonal Adjustment Methodological
Changes at www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-adjustment/timeline-seasonal-adjustment-methodology-
changes.htm.
For analyzing short-term price trends in the economy, seasonally adjusted changes are usually preferred
since they eliminate the effect of changes that normally occur at the same time and in about the same
magnitude every year—such as price movements resulting from weather events, production cycles,
model changeovers, holidays, and sales. This allows data users to focus on changes that are not typical
for the time of year. The unadjusted data are of primary interest to consumers concerned about the prices
they actually pay. Unadjusted data are also used extensively for escalation purposes. Many collective
bargaining contract agreements and pension plans, for example, tie compensation changes to the
Consumer Price Index before adjustment for seasonal variation. BLS advises against the use of
seasonally adjusted data in escalation agreements because seasonally adjusted series are revised
annually.
Intervention Analysis
The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses intervention analysis seasonal adjustment for some CPI series.
Sometimes extreme values or sharp movements can distort the underlying seasonal pattern of price
change. Intervention analysis seasonal adjustment is a process by which the distortions caused by such
unusual events are estimated and removed from the data prior to calculation of seasonal factors. The
resulting seasonal factors, which more accurately represent the seasonal pattern, are then applied to the
unadjusted data.
For example, this procedure was used for the motor fuel series to offset the effects of the 2009 return to
normal pricing after the worldwide economic downturn in 2008. Retaining this outlier data during
seasonal factor calculation would distort the computation of the seasonal portion of the time series data
for motor fuel, so it was estimated and removed from the data prior to seasonal adjustment. Following
that, seasonal factors were calculated based on this “prior adjusted” data. These seasonal factors
represent a clearer picture of the seasonal pattern in the data. The last step is for motor fuel seasonal
factors to be applied to the unadjusted data.
For the seasonal factors introduced for January 2021, BLS adjusted 72 series using intervention analysis
seasonal adjustment, including selected food and beverage items, motor fuels, electricity, and vehicles.
Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Indexes
Seasonally adjusted data, including the U.S. city average all items index levels, are subject to revision
for up to 5 years after their original release. Every year, economists in the CPI calculate new seasonal
factors for seasonally adjusted series and apply them to the last 5 years of data. Seasonally adjusted
indexes beyond the last 5 years of data are considered to be final and not subject to revision. For January
2021, revised seasonal factors and seasonally adjusted indexes for 2016 to 2020 were calculated and
published. For series which are directly adjusted using the Census X-13ARIMA-SEATS seasonal
adjustment software, the seasonal factors for 2020 will be applied to data for 2021 to produce the
seasonally adjusted 2021 indexes. Series which are indirectly seasonally adjusted by summing
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seasonally adjusted component series have seasonal factors which are derived and are therefore not
available in advance.
Determining Seasonal Status
Each year the seasonal status of every series is reevaluated based upon certain statistical criteria. Using
these criteria, BLS economists determine whether a series should change its status from "not seasonally
adjusted" to "seasonally adjusted", or vice versa. If any of the 81 components of the U.S. city average all
items index change their seasonal adjustment status from seasonally adjusted to not seasonally adjusted,
not seasonally adjusted data will be used in the aggregation of the dependent series for the last 5 years,
but the seasonally adjusted indexes before that period will not be changed. Thirty-four of the 81
components of the U.S. city average all items index are not seasonally adjusted for 2021.
Contact Information
For additional information about the CPI visit www.bls.gov/cpi or contact the CPI Information and
Analysis Section at 202-691-7000 or [email protected].
For additional information on seasonal adjustment in the CPI visit www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-
adjustment/home.htm or contact the CPI seasonal adjustment section at 202-691-6968 or
[email protected].
Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.
Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.
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Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category,
December 2021
[1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted]
Unadjusted percent Seasonally adjusted percent
Relative Unadjusted indexes
change change
impor-
Expenditure category tance Dec. Nov. Sep. Oct. Nov.
Nov. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2020- 2021- 2021- 2021- 2021-
2021 2020 2021 2021 Dec. Dec. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2021 2021 2021 2021 2021
All items............................................ . 100.000 260.474 277.948 278.802 7.0 0.3 0.9 0.8 0.5
Food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.990 270.023 285.507 286.966 6.3 0.5 0.9 0.7 0.5
Food at home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.722 251.253 266.384 267.555 6.5 0.4 1.0 0.8 0.4
Cereals and bakery products. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.978 283.735 295.909 297.279 4.8 0.5 1.0 0.8 0.4
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs. . . . . . . . . . . . 1.840 264.475 299.228 297.604 12.5 -0.5 1.7 0.9 -0.4
Dairy and related products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.746 231.740 233.157 235.442 1.6 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.7
Fruits and vegetables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.305 306.506 318.436 321.931 5.0 1.1 0.1 1.0 0.9
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage
materials................................. . 0.909 177.539 185.119 186.723 5.2 0.9 0.8 0.2 0.8
Other food at home....................... . 1.942 218.534 229.643 230.809 5.6 0.5 1.2 1.0 0.6
Food away from home1..................... . 6.269 299.369 315.481 317.372 6.0 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.6
Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.542 198.155 259.100 256.207 29.3 -1.1 4.8 3.5 -0.4
Energy commodities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.304 198.997 302.635 296.391 48.9 -2.1 6.2 5.9 -0.6
Fuel oil1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.114 231.044 333.899 325.879 41.0 -2.4 12.3 3.5 -2.4
Motor fuel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.115 194.996 297.841 291.510 49.5 -2.1 6.1 6.1 -0.5
Gasoline (all types). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.027 193.990 296.571 290.185 49.6 -2.2 6.1 6.1 -0.5
Energy services.............................. . 3.238 206.758 227.874 228.199 10.4 0.1 3.0 0.3 -0.1
Electricity................................... . 2.412 214.375 227.588 227.974 6.3 0.2 1.8 0.3 0.3
Utility (piped) gas service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.825 180.767 224.225 224.366 24.1 0.1 6.6 0.6 -1.2
All items less food and energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78.468 269.226 282.754 283.908 5.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.6
Commodities less food and energy
commodities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.768 145.317 159.426 160.850 10.7 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.2
Apparel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.669 114.434 122.383 121.068 5.8 -1.1 0.0 1.3 1.7
New vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.884 149.091 164.511 166.653 11.8 1.3 1.4 1.1 1.0
Used cars and trucks..................... . 3.419 150.891 200.209 207.164 37.3 3.5 2.5 2.5 3.5
Medical care commodities1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.487 377.921 379.483 379.611 0.4 0.0 0.6 0.1 0.0
Alcoholic beverages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.993 259.397 264.957 265.410 2.3 0.2 -0.2 0.0 0.5
Tobacco and smoking products1. . . . . . . . 0.617 1,199.508 1,298.746 1,308.024 9.0 0.7 1.9 0.9 0.7
Services less energy services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57.700 346.808 358.722 359.559 3.7 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.3
Shelter...................................... . 32.393 327.702 339.997 341.241 4.1 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.4
Rent of primary residence. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.583 344.455 354.526 355.931 3.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Owners’ equivalent rent of
residences2........................... . 23.509 337.695 349.152 350.508 3.8 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Medical care services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.987 564.201 577.076 578.555 2.5 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.3
Physicians’ services1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.777 391.807 408.843 408.644 4.3 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.0
Hospital services3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.154 355.232 367.479 366.854 3.3 -0.2 0.5 -0.3 0.2
Transportation services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.046 312.959 327.749 326.063 4.2 -0.5 0.4 0.7 -0.3
Motor vehicle maintenance and
repair1. . . . . . . .......................... . 1.080 309.888 325.076 324.688 4.8 -0.1 1.5 0.0 -0.1
Motor vehicle insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.560 545.376 568.239 567.875 4.1 -0.1 0.0 -0.8 -1.5
Airline fares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.619 205.983 215.159 208.954 1.4 -2.9 -0.7 4.7 2.7
1
Not seasonally adjusted.
2
Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
3
Indexes on a December 1996=100 base.
Table 2. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by detailed expenditure
category, December 2021
[1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted]
Unadjusted percent
Seasonally adjusted percent change
Relative change
importance Dec. Nov. Sep. Oct. Nov.
Expenditure category
Nov. 2020- 2021- 2021- 2021- 2021-
2021 Dec. Dec. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2021 2021 2021 2021 2021
1
Not seasonally adjusted.
2
Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
3
Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
4
Indexes on a December 2007=100 base.
5
Indexes on a December 2005=100 base.
6
Indexes on a December 1986=100 base.
7
Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
8
Indexes on a December 2009=100 base.
9
Indexes on a December 1990=100 base.
10
Indexes on a December 1983=100 base.
11
Indexes on a December 2001=100 base.
12
Indexes on a December 2019=100 base.
13
Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
14
Indexes on a December 1996=100 base.
Table 3. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, special aggregate indexes,
December 2021
[1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted]
Unadjusted percent Seasonally adjusted percent
Relative Unadjusted indexes
change change
impor-
Special aggregate indexes tance Dec. Nov. Sep. Oct. Nov.
Nov. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2020- 2021- 2021- 2021- 2021-
2021 2020 2021 2021 Dec. Dec. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2021 2021 2021 2021 2021
All items less food.................................. . 86.010 258.959 276.747 277.506 7.2 0.3 0.9 0.8 0.5
All items less shelter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67.607 237.289 256.714 257.431 8.5 0.3 1.2 0.9 0.5
All items less food and shelter.................... . 53.617 229.010 249.264 249.810 9.1 0.2 1.2 1.0 0.5
All items less food, shelter, and energy. . . . . . . . . . 46.075 236.831 250.894 251.992 6.4 0.4 0.7 0.6 0.6
All items less food, shelter, energy, and used
cars and trucks................................... . 42.656 241.759 252.043 252.533 4.5 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.4
All items less medical care........................ . 91.526 248.096 265.889 266.729 7.5 0.3 1.0 0.8 0.5
All items less energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92.458 268.613 282.397 283.593 5.6 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.5
Commodities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.062 186.063 207.708 208.602 12.1 0.4 1.5 1.4 0.8
Commodities less food, energy, and used
cars and trucks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.349 144.915 153.738 154.329 6.5 0.4 0.8 0.6 0.8
Commodities less food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.072 149.989 172.817 173.484 15.7 0.4 1.9 1.8 0.9
Commodities less food and beverages. . . . . . . . 24.079 146.342 169.510 170.179 16.3 0.4 2.0 1.8 0.9
Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60.938 334.030 346.637 347.429 4.0 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.3
Services less rent of shelter1................... . 28.885 350.968 364.091 364.361 3.8 0.1 0.6 0.2 0.1
Services less medical care services. . . . . . . . . . . 53.951 316.606 329.178 329.918 4.2 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.3
Durables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.776 107.691 123.678 125.747 16.8 1.7 1.4 1.6 1.8
Nondurables......................................... . 27.286 225.432 248.656 248.393 10.2 -0.1 1.3 1.1 0.9
Nondurables less food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.296 188.305 217.593 215.952 14.7 -0.8 1.9 1.6 0.6
Nondurables less food and beverages. . . . . . . . 12.303 183.826 214.693 212.913 15.8 -0.8 2.1 1.8 0.6
Nondurables less food, beverages, and
apparel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.634 231.006 276.857 274.750 18.9 -0.8 2.6 1.7 0.5
Nondurables less food and apparel. . . . . . . . . . . . 10.627 232.599 274.322 272.474 17.1 -0.7 2.3 1.6 0.6
Housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... . 41.552 273.684 286.308 287.511 5.1 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.4
Education and communication2................... . 6.487 141.549 143.884 143.844 1.6 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0
Education2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.901 272.437 278.097 277.904 2.0 -0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1
Communication2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.586 75.311 76.294 76.298 1.3 0.0 0.1 -0.2 0.0
Information and information processing2. . . . 3.474 71.171 71.974 71.986 1.1 0.0 0.0 -0.3 0.0
Information technology, hardware and
services3..................................... . 1.237 7.288 7.420 7.427 1.9 0.1 -0.2 -0.7 0.0
Recreation2.......................................... . 5.621 122.692 126.952 126.695 3.3 -0.2 0.7 -0.2 -0.2
Video and audio2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.483 108.207 111.366 110.531 2.1 -0.7 -0.1 -0.2 -0.8
Pets, pet products and services2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.152 181.066 186.695 188.497 4.1 1.0 0.2 0.2 1.0
Photography2..................................... . 0.070 74.997 78.763 77.661 3.6 -1.4 0.1 1.2 -0.4
Food and beverages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.983 269.383 284.168 285.556 6.0 0.5 0.8 0.7 0.5
Domestically produced farm food.............. . 6.459 259.404 275.508 276.523 6.6 0.4 1.1 0.4 0.4
Other services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.308 371.076 380.326 380.714 2.6 0.1 0.5 -0.1 0.1
Apparel less footwear.............................. . 2.027 106.018 113.600 112.104 5.7 -1.3 0.1 1.5 1.8
Fuels and utilities................................... . 4.497 247.236 270.444 270.831 9.5 0.1 2.6 0.3 -0.1
Household energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.427 202.017 225.221 225.435 11.6 0.1 3.3 0.4 -0.3
Medical care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.474 518.766 528.877 530.026 2.2 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.3
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.137 203.560 245.532 246.499 21.1 0.4 2.4 2.5 0.8
Private transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.061 201.523 245.735 246.999 22.6 0.5 2.6 2.4 0.7
New and used motor vehicles2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.363 103.242 122.436 124.853 20.9 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8
Utilities and public transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.775 220.601 231.880 231.516 4.9 -0.2 1.2 0.4 0.2
Household furnishings and operations. . . . . . . . . . . 4.662 127.367 135.345 136.787 7.4 1.1 0.8 0.8 1.1
Other goods and services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.077 466.332 484.683 487.131 4.5 0.5 0.8 0.2 0.5
Personal care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.460 239.497 246.445 247.561 3.4 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.5
1
Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
2
Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
3
Indexes on a December 1988=100 base.
Table 4. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Selected areas, all items index, December
2021
[1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted]
Percent change to Dec. 2021 from: Percent change to Nov. 2021 from:
Pricing
Area Dec. Oct. Nov. Nov. Sep. Oct.
Schedule1
2020 2021 2021 2020 2021 2021
1
Foods, fuels, and several other items are priced every month in all areas. Most other goods and services are priced as indicated: M - Every month.
1 - January, March, May, July, September, and November. 2 - February, April, June, August, October, and December.
2
Regions defined as the four Census regions.
3
Indexes on a December 1996=100 base.
4
Indexes on a December 2017=100 base.
5
Indexes on a December 1986=100 base.
6
1998 - 2017 indexes based on substantially smaller sample.
7
Indexes on a December 2001=100 base.
8
Indexes on a 1987=100 base.
NOTE: Local area indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a smaller sample size than the national index and is,
therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national
index, although their long-term trends are similar. Therefore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics strongly urges users to consider adopting the national
average CPI for use in their escalator clauses.
Table 5. Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) and the Consumer Price Index for
All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, all items index, December 2021
[Percent changes]
Unadjusted 1-month percent change Unadjusted 12-month percent change
Month Year
C-CPI-U1 CPI-U C-CPI-U1 CPI-U
1
The C-CPI-U is designed to be a closer approximation to a cost-of-living index in that it, in its final form, accounts for any substitution that
consumers make across item categories in response to changes in relative prices. Since the expenditure data required for the calculation of the
C-CPI-U are available only with a time lag, the C-CPI-U is issued first in preliminary form using the latest available expenditure data at that time and
is subject to four revisions.
Indexes are issued as initial estimates. Indexes are revised each quarter with the publication of January, April, July, and October data as updated
expenditure estimates become available. The C-CPI-U indexes are updated quarterly until they become final. January-March indexes are final in
January of the following year; April-June indexes are final in April of the following year; July-September indexes are final in July of the following year;
October-December indexes are final in October of the following year.
Table 6. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category,
December 2021, 1-month analysis table
[1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted]
One Month
Relative Seasonally Seasonally Largest (L) or Smallest (S)
Standard
importance adjusted adjusted seasonally adjusted
Expenditure category error,
Nov. percent effect on All change since:3
median
2021 change Items
price Percent
Nov. 2021- Nov. 2021- Date
change2 change
Dec. 2021 Dec. 20211
1
The ’effect’ of an item category is a measure of that item’s contribution to the All items price change. For example, if the Food index had an effect of
0.40, and the All items index rose 1.2 percent, then the increase in food prices contributed 0.40 / 1.2, or 33.3 percent, to that All items increase.
Said another way, had food prices been unchanged for that month the change in the All items index would have been 1.2 percent minus 0.40, or 0.8
percent. Effects can be negative as well. For example, if the effect of food was a negative 0.1, and the All items index rose 0.5 percent, the All items
index actually would have been 0.1 percent higher (or 0.6 percent) had food prices been unchanged. Since food prices fell while prices overall were
rising, the contribution of food to the All items price change was negative (in this case, -0.1 / 0.5, or minus 20 percent).
2
A statistic’s margin of error is often expressed as its point estimate plus or minus two standard errors. For example, if a CPI category rose 0.6
percent, and its standard error was 0.15 percent, the margin of error on this item’s 1-month percent change would be 0.6 percent, plus or minus 0.3
percent.
3
If the current seasonally adjusted 1-month percent change is greater than the previous published 1-month percent change, then this column
identifies the closest prior month with a 1-month percent change as (L)arge as or (L)arger than the current 1-month change. If the current 1-month
percent change is smaller than the previous published 1-month percent change, the most recent month with a change as (S)mall or (S)maller than
the current month change is identified. If the current and previous published 1-month percent changes are equal, a dash will appear. Standard
numerical comparisons are used. For example, 0.8% is greater than 0.6%, -0.4% is less than -0.2%, and -0.2% is less than 0.0%. Note that a
(L)arger change can be a smaller decline, for example, a -0.2% change is larger than a -0.4% change, but still represents a decline in the price
index. Likewise, (S)maller changes can be increases, for example, a 0.6% change is smaller than 0.8%, but still represents an increase in the price
index. In this context, a -0.2% change is considered to be smaller than a 0.0% change.
4
Not seasonally adjusted.
5
Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
6
Special indexes based on a substantially smaller sample. These series do not contribute to the all items index aggregation and therefore do not
have a relative importance or effect.
7
Indexes on a December 2007=100 base.
8
Indexes on a December 2005=100 base.
9
Indexes on a December 1986=100 base.
10
Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
11
Indexes on a December 2009=100 base.
12
Indexes on a December 1990=100 base.
13
Indexes on a December 1983=100 base.
14
Indexes on a December 2001=100 base.
15
Indexes on a December 2019=100 base.
16
Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
17
Indexes on a December 1996=100 base.
18
Indexes on a December 1988=100 base.
Table 7. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category,
December 2021, 12-month analysis table
[1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted]
Twelve Month
Relative Unadjusted Unadjusted Standard Largest (L) or Smallest (S)
importance percent effect on All error, unadjusted change since:3
Expenditure category
Nov. change Items median
2021 Dec. 2020- Dec. 2020- price Percent
Date
Dec. 2021 Dec. 20211 change2 change
1
The ’effect’ of an item category is a measure of that item’s contribution to the All items price change. For example, if the Food index had an effect of
0.40, and the All items index rose 1.2 percent, then the increase in food prices contributed 0.40 / 1.2, or 33.3 percent, to that All items increase.
Said another way, had food prices been unchanged for that year the change in the All items index would have been 1.2 percent minus 0.40, or 0.8
percent. Effects can be negative as well. For example, if the effect of food was a negative 0.1, and the All items index rose 0.5 percent, the All items
index actually would have been 0.1 percent higher (or 0.6 percent) had food prices been unchanged. Since food prices fell while prices overall were
rising, the contribution of food to the All items price change was negative (in this case, -0.1 / 0.5, or minus 20 percent).
2
A statistic’s margin of error is often expressed as its point estimate plus or minus two standard errors. For example, if a CPI category rose 2.6
percent, and its standard error was 0.25 percent, the margin of error on this item’s 12-month percent change would be 2.6 percent, plus or minus
0.5 percent.
3
If the current 12-month percent change is greater than the previous published 12-month percent change, then this column identifies the closest prior
month with a 12-month percent change as (L)arge as or (L)arger than the current 12-month change. If the current 12-month percent change is
smaller than the previous published 12-month percent change, the most recent month with a change as (S)mall or (S)maller than the current month
change is identified. If the current and previous published 12-month percent changes are equal, a dash will appear. Standard numerical comparison
is used. For example, 2.0% is greater than 0.6%, -4.4% is less than -2.0%, and -2.0% is less than 0.0%. Note that a (L)arger change can be a
smaller decline, for example, a -0.2% change is larger than a -0.4% change, but still represents a decline in the price index. Likewise, (S)maller
changes can be increases, for example, a 0.6% change is smaller than 0.8%, but still represents an increase in the price index. In this context, a
-0.2% change is considered to be smaller than a 0.0% change.
4
Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
5
Special indexes based on a substantially smaller sample. These series do not contribute to the all items index aggregation and therefore do not
have a relative importance or effect.
6
Indexes on a December 2007=100 base.
7
Indexes on a December 2005=100 base.
8
Indexes on a December 1986=100 base.
9
Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
10
Indexes on a December 2009=100 base.
11
Indexes on a December 1990=100 base.
12
Indexes on a December 1983=100 base.
13
Indexes on a December 2001=100 base.
14
Indexes on a December 2019=100 base.
15
Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
16
Indexes on a December 1996=100 base.
17
Indexes on a December 1988=100 base.