Consumer Price Index for March 2025
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in March, after rising 0.2 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.4 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for energy fell 2.4 percent in March, as a 6.3-percent decline in the index for gasoline more than offset increases in the indexes for electricity and natural gas. The food index, in contrast, rose 0.4 percent in March as the food at home index increased 0.5 percent and the food away from home index rose 0.4 percent over the month.
The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in March, following a 0.2-percent increase in February. Indexes that increased over the month include personal care, medical care, education, apparel, and new vehicles. The indexes for airline fares, motor vehicle insurance, used cars and trucks, and recreation were among the major indexes that decreased in March. The all items index rose 2.4 percent for the 12 months ending March, after rising 2.8 percent over the 12 months ending February. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.8 percent over the last 12 months, the smallest 12-month increase since March 2021. The energy index decreased 3.3 percent for the 12 months ending March. The food index increased 3.0 percent over the last year.
Food
The index for food increased 0.4 percent in March, after rising 0.2 percent in February. The food at home index rose 0.5 percent over the month as four of the six major grocery store food group indexes
increased. Driven primarily by a 5.9-percent increase in the index for eggs, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.3 percent in March. The beef index also increased over the month, rising 1.2
percent. The index for other food at home increased 0.5 percent in March and the index for dairy and related products rose 1.0 percent. The nonalcoholic beverages index increased 0.6 percent over the
month.
The index for fruits and vegetables declined 0.5 percent in March as the index for lettuce fell 3.5 percent. The cereals and bakery products index decreased 0.1 percent over the month. The food away from home index rose 0.4 percent in March. The index for full service meals rose 0.6
percent over the month and the index for limited service meals rose 0.2 percent.
The index for food at home rose 2.4 percent over the last 12 months. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index rose 7.9 percent over the last 12 months as the eggs index increased 60.4 percent. The index for
other food at home increased 1.1 percent over the same period, while the index for nonalcoholic beverages rose 2.4 percent. The dairy and related products index increased 2.2 percent over the 12 months ending in March and the cereals and bakery products index rose 1.1 percent. In contrast, the index for fruits and vegetables decreased 0.7 percent over the same period. The food away from home index rose 3.8 percent over the last year. The index for full service meals rose 4.1 percent and the index for limited service meals rose 3.4 percent over the same period.
Energy
The energy index decreased 2.4 percent in March, after rising 0.2 percent in February. The gasoline index decreased 6.3 percent over the month. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices decreased 0.9
percent in March.) The index for natural gas rose 3.6 percent over the month and the index for electricity increased 0.9 percent.
The energy index decreased 3.3 percent over the past 12 months. The gasoline index fell 9.8 percent over this 12-month span and the fuel oil index fell 7.6 percent over that period. In contrast, the index for
electricity increased 2.8 percent over the last 12 months and the index for natural gas rose 9.4 percent.
All items less food and energy
The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in March, following a 0.2-percent increase in February. The shelter index increased 0.2 percent over the month. The index for owners’ equivalent
rent rose 0.4 percent in March and the index for rent increased 0.3 percent. The lodging away from home index fell 3.5 percent in March.
The personal care index rose 1.0 percent in March. The index for education rose 0.4 percent over the month, as did the index for apparel. The new vehicles index also increased over the month, rising 0.1
percent. In contrast, the index for airline fares fell 5.3 percent in March, after declining 4.0 percent in February. The indexes for motor vehicle insurance, used cars and trucks, and recreation also fell over the
month. The household furnishings and operations index was unchanged in March.
The medical care index increased 0.2 percent over the month. The index for hospital services increased 1.1 percent in March and the index for physicians’ services rose 0.3 percent over the month. In contrast,
the prescription drugs index fell 2.0 percent in March. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index increased 4.0 percent over the last year, the smallest 12-month increase since November 2021. Other indexes with notable increases over the last year include motor vehicle insurance (+7.5 percent), medical care (+2.6 percent), recreation (+1.9 percent), and education (+3.9 percent).