United States
English original
U.S. annual inflation rises to 3.7% in September
U.S. inflation accelerated to an annual rate of 3.7% in September after two months at 3.4%, with gasoline accounting for more than half the monthly CPI increase.
U.S. inflation rose to an annual rate of 3.7% in September, up from 3.4% in each of the preceding two months, according to new government data. Economists surveyed by FactSet had expected an annual increase of 3.6%.
The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, measures how prices change over time for a basket of commonly purchased goods and services. The September figures show an acceleration in the annual rate after two months in which that rate held steady.
The Labor Department said Wednesday that gasoline prices rose 9.1% in September from the previous month and accounted for more than half the monthly CPI increase. Compared with a year earlier, energy prices were up 20.4% and gasoline prices were up 34.2%.
The CPI figures also showed airline fares rising 22.4% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, AAA put the national average gasoline price at $4.33 a gallon on Wednesday; prices at the pump had eased slightly in recent weeks but remained elevated.