U.S. CPI rose 4.2% in May 2026, highest in 3 years

U. S. CPI rose 4.

2% in May 2026, highest in 3 years woman looks at eggs in a grocery store while pushing a cart and dressed in winter clothing · Quartz · Scott Olson / Getty Images Cris Tolomia Wed, June 10, 2026 at 2:38 PM GMT+2 2 min read U. S. consumer prices rose 4.

2% over the 12 months ending in May , the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday, up from a 3. 8% annual rate in April and the highest 12-month reading in three years. On a monthly basis, the all-items Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.

5% on a seasonally adjusted basis in May, following a 0. 6% gain in April. Energy was the dominant driver.

The energy index rose 3. 9% in May and accounted for more than 60% of the monthly all-items increase. Gasoline prices climbed 7.

0% over the month and are up 40. 5% over the past year. The energy index overall has risen 23.

5% in the last 12 months. Food prices increased 0. 2% in May.

Groceries — the food at home index — edged up 0. 1% for the month, with gains in nonalcoholic beverages, cereals and bakery products, and fruits and vegetables partially offset by a 0. 6% decline in dairy and related products.

The food away from home index rose 0. 3%. Over the past year, the overall food index is up 3.

1%. The index for all items less food and energy — a closely watched measure of underlying inflation — rose 0. 2% in May after a 0.

4% gain in April, and is up 2. 9% over the past year. Shelter costs rose 0.

3% for the month and are up 3. 4% annually. Communication prices increased 1.

3% over the month, airline fares rose 2. 7%, and medical care services gained 0. 5%.

Motor vehicle insurance fell 1. 7% in May, while new vehicle prices declined 0. 3% and household furnishings and operations dropped 0.

6%. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers rose 4. 4% over the past 12 months, reaching an index level of 328.

829. The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 4. 0% over the same period.

The next CPI report, covering June 2026, is scheduled for release on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.