Consumer prices rose 0.6% in September as annual inflation reached 3.7%
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the yearly rate rose from 3.4% in August. Core inflation, which leaves out food and energy, rose 0.3% on the month and 2.6% over 12 months.
Macro Bullseye ·
Consumer prices rose 0.6% in September, up from a 0.4% increase in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. It was the third straight monthly increase. A year earlier, in September 2025, prices rose 0.3%.
The numbers
Sep 2026 data · released Wed, Oct 14
- CPI, change from the prior month
- +0.6%Aug 2026: +0.4%
- CPI, change over 12 months
- 3.7%Aug 2026: 3.4%
- Core CPI (ex food and energy), change from the prior month
- +0.3%Aug 2026: +0.3%
- Core CPI, change over 12 months
- 2.6%Aug 2026: 2.4%
View the data as a table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | +0.6% |
| Aug 2026 | +0.4% |
| Jul 2026 | +0.1% |
| Jun 2026 | −0.4% |
| May 2026 | +0.5% |
| Apr 2026 | +0.6% |
| Mar 2026 | +0.9% |
| Feb 2026 | +0.3% |
| Jan 2026 | +0.2% |
| Dec 2025 | +0.3% |
| Sep 2025 | +0.3% |
| Aug 2025 | +0.3% |
| Jul 2025 | +0.2% |
| Jun 2025 | +0.3% |
| May 2025 | +0.1% |
| Apr 2025 | +0.2% |
| Mar 2025 | 0.0% |
| Feb 2025 | +0.2% |
| Jan 2025 | +0.4% |
| Dec 2024 | +0.3% |
| Nov 2024 | +0.3% |
| Oct 2024 | +0.3% |
| Sep 2024 | +0.2% |
| Aug 2024 | +0.2% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Revised figures replace earlier ones.Full release
Over the 12 months through September, the CPI rose 3.7%. That was up 0.3 percentage point from 3.4% in August and above the 3.0% pace of a year earlier.
Core CPI, which leaves out food and energy, rose 0.3% in September. That matched August and was the third straight monthly increase. Core prices rose 0.2% in September 2025.
The core rate over 12 months was 2.6%, up from 2.4% in August. That was the first rise after three straight monthly declines. A year earlier the core rate was 3.0%.
The monthly headline figure has swung widely this year. It rose 0.9% in March, 0.6% in April and 0.5% in May, fell 0.4% in June, then rose 0.1% in July. The next CPI report, covering October, is due Tuesday, November 10, at 8:30 AM ET.
What it means for your money
- CPI data set the yearly Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, which uses CPI-W. Faster price growth tends to mean a larger adjustment, though prices for everyday goods are also rising faster.
- The inflation part of the I bond rate comes from CPI-U. Higher readings tend to raise that part of the rate.
- Faster price growth tends to keep interest rates higher. That can keep borrowing costs for mortgages and credit cards elevated, while savings account rates may also stay higher.
Drafted by AI (Claude) from the official data and published only after an automatic check that every number in the text matches the figures above. Not investment advice. How we write these