United States Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and Inflation Rate: US city average, All items less food and shelter (Not Seas Adj.)

According to data from the US BLS, in March 2026, the US Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U): All items less food and shelter in the US was 279.785 (not seasonally adjusted); it rose by 0.6% compared to February 2026.

The US Inflation Rate of All items less food and shelter in the US in March 2026 was 1.9%, not seasonally adjusted. The inflation rate represents the percent change of the CPI-U compared to a year ago.

The first chart below shows the trend of the CPI, and the second chart shows the inflation rate from March 2001 to March 2026. This information can also be found in a table below.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services. The CPI of all urban consumers (CPI-U) reflects the spending patterns of all urban consumers which represents about 93 percent of the total US population. The CPI-U is based on the expenditures of almost all residents of urban or metropolitan areas, including professionals, the self-employed, the poor, the unemployed, and retired people, as well as urban wage earners and clerical workers.