December US Consumer Prices Rise as Expected, Lifted by Housing, Apparel, Medical Care Services

08:39 AM EST, 01/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index, a measure of inflation, rose by 0.3% in December, right on expectations in a survey compiled by Bloomberg, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

November percent changes are unavailable due to missing data in October resulting from the federal government shutdown.

Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose by 0.2%, slower than the consensus estimate for a 0.3% increase.

Food prices increased by 0.7%, while energy prices were up 0.3%. Gasoline prices were down 0.5%.

Owners' equivalent rents rose by 0.3%, as did regular rents. There were also notable gains in apparel and medical care services, offset by a drop in the price of used cars and trucks. Prices for new vehicles was flat.

CPI excluding food, energy and shelter rose by 0.1%.

The year-over-year rates for overall and core CPI remained at 2.7% and 2.6%, respectively.

The monthly consumer price index, or CPI, reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, measures the index level of prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services such as food, energy, vehicle, medical care, apparel, and housing.

The core measure, which excludes food and energy due to their volatility, is closely watched by markets and the Federal Reserve as a sign of underlying inflation pressures.

Rising inflation is a sign of strong US consumer demand, but both stocks and bond normally react negatively to level of price growth that would necessitate higher interest rates.

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