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September 15, 2021 at 02:46 PM
Related: 23 Price Hikes in July 2021, Ranked
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Tuesday posted the consumer price index data for August, showing a 5.3% increase over the past 12 months and 0.3% from July.
The CPI measures a “market basket” of consumer spending, which includes what individuals pay for goods and services, such as food bought at grocery stores, restaurant meals, clothes, energy, vehicles, rent and car repairs.
Not all categories rose in August, particularly compared with July. While airline fares rose 6.7% from a year ago, they fell a seasonally adjusted 9.1% from July. Used car and truck prices, up 31.9% from August 2020, eased 1.5% from a month ago.
To measure these price changes, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts regular household surveys for the BLS. The Consumer Expenditures Surveys aim to provide the public with information “on the complete range of consumers’ expenditures and incomes,” according to the BLS.
To find out which specific items and spending categories had the greatest 12-month price increase in the latest CPI survey results, see the gallery above.
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