Consumer Prices Rose 0.4% in October as Core Inflation Held at 0.3% for a Third Month
Consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, a step down from September's 0.6% gain, as energy prices cooled after a September surge, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.
The index excluding food and energy rose 0.3% for the third month in a row. All figures are seasonally adjusted.
Shelter rose 0.3% and accounted for over 30% of the monthly increase, the BLS said. Owners' equivalent rent rose 0.3% and rent rose 0.2%.
Energy cools, food heats up
The energy index rose 0.7% after a 5.2% surge in September. Gasoline rose 1.0% after a 9.1% jump the month before, and electricity climbed 0.9%, while natural gas fell 0.8%.
Food prices rose 0.5% after holding flat in September. Groceries rose 0.4%, with beef up 0.9% and snacks up 1.0%, and restaurant prices rose 0.5%.
Among core categories, recreation rose 0.8%, motor vehicle insurance 0.7% and hospital services 0.8%. Used cars and trucks fell 1.2%, and communication slipped 0.1%.
A gap in the annual numbers
The report carries few year-over-year comparisons. BLS did not collect October 2025 survey data because of the 2025 lapse in appropriations, so it cannot publish 12-month changes for most series this month.
For the handful of series where it could, the gasoline index was 37.4% higher than a year earlier before seasonal adjustment, new vehicles were up 0.7% and used cars and trucks were down 3.3%.
The November report is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time.
By the numbers
- All items, October: up 0.4% (September: up 0.6%)
- Excluding food and energy: up 0.3%
- Shelter: up 0.3%
- Energy: up 0.7% (September: up 5.2%)
- Food: up 0.5%
- Used cars and trucks: down 1.2%
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index - October 2026, released Nov. 10, 2026
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