Consumer Price Index & Inflation

Annual CPI

  2005 2006 2007 2008
All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) 3.4% 2.5% 2.7% 4.0%
Urban Wage Earners & Clerical Workers (CPI-W) 3.6% 2.5% 2.8% 4.3%
     * based on December 1996 dollars 

SOURCE: USDC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005 - 2008

Current CPI

 

Change from 1 year ago

Index

All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) -0.6% 129.3
Urban Wage Earners & Clerical Workers (CPI-W) - 1.1% 128.5
     * based on December 1996 dollars

SOURCE: USDC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 2009

 

All the data above is for B/C Size Class cities (population of 50,000-1,500,000)
located in the Midwest Region.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a market basket of goods and services. It is a good indicator of consumer inflation rates and in terms of salary adjustments it is often referred to as "the cost of living increase."

For a full explanation and the CPI equation, click here.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an inflation calculator which allows users to figure inflation over a designated period of time.
(i.e. $1.00 in 1956 equals $7.76 in 2009.)

Click to view the BLS Inflation Calculator.