The complete CPI
command center.
Real-time Consumer Price Index charts, historical data back to 1913, category breakdowns, BLS release coverage, and a free inflation calculator — every figure sourced from official government and exchange data feeds.
U.S. Inflation Rate, Year-over-Year
The headline U.S. CPI inflation rate, published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pan, zoom, and switch timeframes — data streams directly from TradingView's economic feed.
FRED:FPCPITOTLZGUSA · U.S. CPI YoY (% change, SA, Monthly)
Updated MonthlyBreak down inflation by category
The CPI basket is built from eight major spending categories. Each tracks differently — some swing wildly month to month, others drift slowly higher. Explore the data behind every line item.
Food
Groceries (food at home) and dining out (food away from home). Highly visible to consumers and politically sensitive.
View data →Energy
Gasoline, electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil. The most volatile component — drives most of the gap between headline and core CPI.
View data →Housing & Shelter
Rent, owners' equivalent rent, lodging away from home, household furnishings, and utilities. The single largest CPI weight.
View data →Transportation
New and used vehicles, motor fuel, insurance, maintenance, and public transport including airline fares.
View data →Medical Care
Health insurance, prescription drugs, hospital services, and professional medical fees. Sticky and slow-moving.
View data →Apparel
Men's, women's, and children's clothing plus footwear. Heavily influenced by import prices and seasonal cycles.
View data →Education & Communication
College tuition, school fees, telephone services, and computer software. Mixed dynamics across sub-items.
View data →Recreation & Other
Video and audio products, recreation services, tobacco, and personal care. Captures discretionary spending dynamics.
View data →CPI in three minutes
The Consumer Price Index is the most-watched measure of U.S. inflation. Here's how it's built, why it moves, and what it means for your money.
What it measures
The CPI tracks the average change in prices paid by urban consumers for a fixed basket of about 80,000 goods and services. Collected monthly by the BLS from over 23,000 retail outlets across the country.
Why it matters
CPI determines Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, federal tax brackets, military pensions, food stamps, and many private contracts. It directly shapes Federal Reserve interest-rate decisions.
Headline vs. core
Headline CPI includes everything. Core CPI strips out food and energy — categories that swing wildly month to month — to expose the underlying trend in prices that the Fed pays closest attention to.
Everything CPI, in one place
Built for analysts, journalists, economists, students, and anyone trying to make sense of inflation. Every page is sourced, dated, and linked back to the official data.
Historical CPI Data
Full monthly CPI series stretching back to 1913, when the BLS first began tracking consumer prices. Every figure with its date stamp and revision note.
- Monthly index values, 1913 → present
- Annual averages and year-over-year changes
- Downloadable CSV exports
- Compare any two months instantly
CPI Release Schedule
Know exactly when the next CPI print drops. The BLS publishes its release calendar a full year ahead — we surface it in your timezone with countdowns and consensus forecasts.
- Full BLS release calendar
- Time-zone-aware countdowns
- Economist consensus estimates
- Post-release reaction summaries
CPI vs PPI vs PCE
The CPI isn't the only inflation gauge. Compare it side-by-side with the Producer Price Index and the Fed's preferred Personal Consumption Expenditures deflator.
- Methodology differences explained
- Live comparative charts
- Why the Fed prefers PCE
- When the indices diverge
Global CPI Coverage
Inflation isn't just a U.S. story. Track headline CPI prints from every G20 economy — Eurozone HICP, UK CPI, Japan core, China CPI, and more — in a single dashboard.
- 30+ country CPI series
- Eurozone aggregate & per-country
- Emerging market inflation watch
- Live country-vs-country comparison
Calculators & data tools
Everything you need to actually use the CPI data — convert prices across decades, project budgets, and stress-test salary negotiations.
Inflation Calculator
How much would $100 in 1985 be worth today? Convert any dollar amount between any two years from 1913 to the present.
Open calculator →COLA Calculator
Calculate Social Security cost-of-living adjustments using CPI-W, the exact index the SSA uses for annual benefit increases.
Calculate COLA →Purchasing Power Tool
See what a dollar has bought over time. Visualize how the same wage, rent, or grocery bill has shifted across decades.
Run analysis →Salary vs. Inflation
Is your raise actually a raise? Check whether your salary has kept pace with CPI since you started your job.
Check my salary →Rent Inflation Tracker
Compare your rent increase to the BLS rent and owners' equivalent rent indexes. Find out if you're paying above-trend.
Check my rent →CPI Forecast
Aggregated economist forecasts plus market-implied inflation from TIPS spreads and inflation swaps for the next 12 months.
See forecasts →Upcoming CPI & inflation releases
Live economic calendar filtered to inflation-related releases. Consensus forecasts shown next to each event.
Common CPI questions
The fundamentals — what CPI is, how it's calculated, and how it differs from related inflation measures.
What is the Consumer Price Index?
The CPI measures the average change over time in the prices urban consumers pay for a representative basket of goods and services. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has published it since 1913, making it one of the longest-running economic indicators in the world.
When does the BLS release CPI?
The BLS releases CPI data monthly, typically in the second or third week of each month, covering the prior month. Releases are scheduled at 8:30 a.m. ET. The full annual release calendar is published in advance and rarely changes.
What's the difference between CPI and Core CPI?
Headline CPI includes every category in the consumer basket. Core CPI strips out food and energy, which are highly volatile. Economists and the Federal Reserve typically watch core to see the underlying inflation trend without the noise of weekly gasoline price swings.
How is CPI used in real life?
CPI determines Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, IRS tax bracket indexing, federal pension increases, and many private contracts including union wage agreements and commercial leases. It also feeds into Federal Reserve policy decisions on interest rates.
Why is CPI different from how prices feel?
CPI tracks a representative basket using fixed weights, while your personal experience reflects what you actually buy. If you spend disproportionately on groceries, gas, or rent during a period when those prices are jumping, your personal inflation rate will exceed the official CPI.
What's the difference between CPI and PCE?
CPI uses a fixed basket and surveys urban households. PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures), the Fed's preferred gauge, uses a broader scope, adjusts for substitution when prices change, and includes spending made on consumers' behalf such as employer-provided health insurance. PCE typically runs slightly below CPI.