1A - CPI-U (April)MOUNTAIN-PLAINS INFORMATION OFFICE: Kansas City, Mo.
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Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – April 2017
Prices in the Midwest up 0.4 percent in April and 1.8 percent higher over the year
The April Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest rose 0.4 percent, the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The monthly advance was led by higher costs for motor fuel
(4.9 percent) and shelter (0.3 percent). The broader energy index was up 2.4 percent and the index for all
items less food and energy, which includes shelter, increased 0.2 percent. Food prices registered little
movement (0.1 percent) over the month. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly,
month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)
The CPI-U for the Midwest rose 1.8 percent from April 2016 to April 2017. (See chart 1 and table A.) The
energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, was up 9.6 percent and food prices were
unchanged. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U advanced 1.4 percent over the year. (See table 1.)
Food
Food prices in the Midwest registered little movement (0.1 percent) in April. The index for food at home
was unchanged, while costs for food away from home rose a slight 0.1 percent over the month.
For Release: Friday, May 12, 2017 17-610-KAN
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From April 2016 to April 2017, the index for food was unchanged. Prices for food at home were down 1.2
percent. This over-the-year measure has declined every month since October 2015. Costs for food away
from home rose 1.8 percent over the year, offsetting the decrease in the food at home index.
Energy
The energy index rose 2.4 percent in April. Higher prices for motor fuel, up 4.9 percent, were largely
responsible for the increase in the energy component. Electricity prices also contributed to the advance,
rising 0.5 percent over the month. Costs for utility (piped) gas service were virtually unchanged (-0.1
percent).
Energy costs increased 9.6 percent from April 2016 to April 2017. Motor fuel prices rose 14.6 percent over
the year. Costs for utility (piped) gas service were 14.4-percent higher and prices for electricity were up 1.4
percent.
All items less food and energy
The index for all items less food and energy for the Midwest increased 0.2 percent in April. Expenditure
categories registering higher prices over the month included shelter (0.3 percent) and apparel (1.8 percent).
Partially offsetting the increases, costs for education and communication declined 0.6 percent over the
month.
The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.4 percent from April 2016 to April 2017. Higher costs
for shelter (2.5 percent) and medical care services (2.9 percent) led the advance.
The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 229.682 in April 2017. A
typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $229.68 in
April 2017.
CPI-W
In April, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was
223.577, up 0.4 percent over the month. The CPI-W increased 1.7 percent over the year.
The May 2017 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region is scheduled to be released on
Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally
adjusted
Month
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
1-month 12-
month 1-month 12-
month 1-month 12-
month 1-month 12-
month 1-month 12-
month
January .............................................. 0.1 1.3 0.5 1.4 -0.6 -0.3 0.3 0.8 0.7 2.2
February ............................................ 1.1 2.2 0.6 0.9 0.3 -0.5 0.0 0.4 0.2 2.4
March ................................................ 0.2 1.4 0.9 1.5 0.6 -0.9 0.6 0.5 0.1 1.9
April ................................................... -0.1 1.2 0.3 1.9 0.1 -1.1 0.4 0.8 0.4 1.8
May.................................................... 0.5 1.8 0.2 1.6 0.4 -0.8 0.4 0.8
June ................................................... 0.3 2.2 0.5 1.7 0.5 -0.7 0.6 0.8
July .................................................... -0.4 1.8 -0.3 1.8 0.0 -0.5 -0.5 0.4
August ............................................... 0.1 1.2 -0.2 1.6 0.0 -0.3 0.1 0.6
September ......................................... 0.1 1.0 0.1 1.6 -0.3 -0.8 0.2 1.1
October .............................................. -0.5 0.8 -0.5 1.6 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1 1.0
November .......................................... -0.2 1.0 -0.6 1.2 -0.5 -0.2 -0.3 1.2
December .......................................... -0.2 1.0 -0.7 0.7 -0.6 0.0 0.1 1.8
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Technical Note
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market
basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1)
a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 89 percent of the total population and
(2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 28 percent of
the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as
professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed,
and retirees and others not in the labor force.
The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and
dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each
month, prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and
approximately 24,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and
other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of
items are included in the index.
The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An
increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as
follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in
1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the
BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at
www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch17_a.htm.
In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with
weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are
then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local
area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In
addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater
volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do
not measure differences in the level of prices between areas; they only measure the average change in
prices for each area since the base period.
The Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice
phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
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Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected
periods Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group
Indexes
Percent change from-
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Apr.
2017
Apr.
2016
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Expenditure category
All Items........................................................... 228.633 228.824 229.682 1.8 0.5 0.4
All items (December 1977=100)...................... 371.998 372.309 373.705
Food and beverages ....................................... 240.532 240.842 241.056 0.1 0.2 0.1
Food ............................................................. 240.000 240.330 240.532 0.0 0.2 0.1
Food at home ........................................... 225.558 225.919 226.011 -1.2 0.2 0.0
Food away from home.............................. 264.278 264.553 264.944 1.8 0.3 0.1
Alcoholic beverages ..................................... 245.662 245.680 246.063 0.7 0.2 0.2
Housing ........................................................... 219.711 219.759 220.351 2.5 0.3 0.3
Shelter .......................................................... 260.016 260.312 261.077 2.5 0.4 0.3
Rent of primary residence(1).................... 259.003 259.587 260.446 3.0 0.6 0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2).... 263.834 264.395 265.072 2.8 0.5 0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of primary
residence(1)(2)..................................... 263.812 264.370 265.044 2.8 0.5 0.3
Fuels and utilities.......................................... 218.321 217.084 217.646 5.1 -0.3 0.3
Household energy .................................... 178.854 177.386 177.850 5.5 -0.6 0.3
Energy services(1)............................... 185.745 184.406 184.941 5.2 -0.4 0.3
Electricity(1)....................................... 197.811 198.192 199.158 1.4 0.7 0.5
Utility (piped) gas service(1).............. 154.476 150.422 150.223 14.4 -2.8 -0.1
Household furnishings and operations ......... 114.268 114.349 114.475 -0.5 0.2 0.1
Apparel ............................................................ 116.785 118.906 121.045 2.4 3.6 1.8
Transportation ................................................. 193.850 195.223 197.985 3.0 2.1 1.4
Private transportation ................................... 188.209 189.455 191.861 3.2 1.9 1.3
New and used motor vehicles(3).............. 97.207 97.259 97.357 -2.1 0.2 0.1
New vehicles ........................................ 140.337 139.876 139.372 -0.3 -0.7 -0.4
New cars and trucks(3)(4)................. 99.121 98.802 98.443 -0.4 -0.7 -0.4
New cars(4)....................................... 137.672 136.562 136.270 0.4 -1.0 -0.2
Used cars and trucks............................ 138.424 139.845 140.920 -4.8 1.8 0.8
Motor fuel ................................................. 202.461 206.882 216.986 14.6 7.2 4.9
Gasoline (all types)............................... 201.278 205.745 215.921 14.5 7.3 4.9
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)........... 195.197 199.746 210.112 14.7 7.6 5.2
Gasoline, Unleaded midgrade(4)(5).. 237.973 241.431 249.021 12.9 4.6 3.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)........ 226.251 229.830 238.399 13.5 5.4 3.7
Medical Care ................................................... 480.573 479.253 479.011 3.0 -0.3 -0.1
Medical care commodities ............................ 388.355 389.610 389.171 3.2 0.2 -0.1
Medical care services ................................... 511.508 509.274 509.103 2.9 -0.5 0.0
Professional services ............................... 415.610 414.303 415.167 3.5 -0.1 0.2
Recreation(3)................................................... 120.781 121.447 121.578 2.2 0.7 0.1
Education and communication(3).................... 140.076 137.614 136.820 -2.8 -2.3 -0.6
Other goods and services ............................... 412.232 412.323 413.453 1.7 0.3 0.3
Commodity and Service Group
All Items........................................................... 228.633 228.824 229.682 1.8 0.5 0.4
Commodities ................................................ 176.119 176.752 177.904 1.0 1.0 0.7
Commodities less food & beverages ........ 144.935 145.677 147.169 1.5 1.5 1.0
Nondurables less food & beverages .... 187.154 188.947 192.108 4.5 2.6 1.7
Nondurables less food, beverages,
and apparel ....................................... 233.321 234.914 238.749 5.2 2.3 1.6
Durables ............................................... 103.741 103.652 103.805 -2.3 0.1 0.1
Services........................................................ 282.777 282.517 283.077 2.4 0.1 0.2
Rent of shelter(2)...................................... 267.212 267.501 268.285 2.5 0.4 0.3
Transportation services ............................ 303.383 304.921 307.524 2.6 1.4 0.9
Note: See footnotes at end of table.
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Footnotes(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric
means estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North
Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected
periods Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) - Continued
Item and Group
Indexes
Percent change from-
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Apr.
2017
Apr.
2016
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Other services .......................................... 337.388 335.480 334.651 0.5 -0.8 -0.2
Special aggregate indexes:
All items less medical care .............................. 216.705 216.968 217.879 1.7 0.5 0.4
All items less food ........................................... 226.666 226.834 227.797 2.1 0.5 0.4
All items less shelter ........................................ 219.580 219.735 220.635 1.5 0.5 0.4
Commodities less food .................................... 148.084 148.811 150.281 1.5 1.5 1.0
Nondurables .................................................... 213.412 214.506 216.276 2.1 1.3 0.8
Nondurables less food..................................... 190.250 191.943 194.949 4.3 2.5 1.6
Nondurables less food and apparel................. 233.040 234.487 237.998 4.8 2.1 1.5
Services less rent of shelter(2)........................ 316.220 315.348 315.697 2.2 -0.2 0.1
Services less medical care services................ 265.732 265.616 266.229 2.3 0.2 0.2
Energy ............................................................. 189.806 190.872 195.496 9.6 3.0 2.4
All items less energy ....................................... 235.303 235.410 235.908 1.2 0.3 0.2
All items less food and energy ..................... 235.165 235.232 235.785 1.4 0.3 0.2
Commodities less food and energy
commodities ............................................. 144.568 144.920 145.431 -0.5 0.6 0.4
Energy commodities ................................. 202.786 206.720 216.339 14.5 6.7 4.7
Services less energy services .................. 295.187 295.040 295.607 2.2 0.1 0.2
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Table 2. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Indexes and percent
changes for selected periods Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group
Indexes
Percent change from-
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Apr.
2017
Apr.
2016
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Expenditure category
All Items........................................................... 222.507 222.671 223.577 1.7 0.5 0.4
All items (December 1977=100)...................... 359.843 360.109 361.573
Food and beverages ....................................... 240.160 240.395 240.588 -0.2 0.2 0.1
Food ............................................................. 239.608 239.831 240.033 -0.2 0.2 0.1
Food at home ........................................... 226.040 226.238 226.316 -1.3 0.1 0.0
Food away from home.............................. 265.274 265.546 266.003 1.7 0.3 0.2
Alcoholic beverages ..................................... 247.413 247.850 247.886 0.9 0.2 0.0
Housing ........................................................... 214.683 214.753 215.300 2.6 0.3 0.3
Shelter .......................................................... 248.857 249.247 249.938 2.6 0.4 0.3
Rent of primary residence(1).................... 259.662 260.233 261.098 3.0 0.6 0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2).... 245.864 246.367 246.979 2.7 0.5 0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of primary
residence(1)(2)..................................... 245.859 246.361 246.972 2.7 0.5 0.2
Fuels and utilities.......................................... 219.524 218.253 218.824 5.0 -0.3 0.3
Household energy .................................... 179.754 178.265 178.752 5.3 -0.6 0.3
Energy services(1)............................... 185.175 183.871 184.412 5.1 -0.4 0.3
Electricity(1)....................................... 196.274 196.622 197.468 1.3 0.6 0.4
Utility (piped) gas service(1).............. 155.892 151.742 151.719 14.8 -2.7 0.0
Household furnishings and operations ......... 112.130 112.114 112.176 -0.8 0.0 0.1
Apparel ............................................................ 114.376 116.868 119.304 3.0 4.3 2.1
Transportation ................................................. 190.281 191.812 194.703 3.0 2.3 1.5
Private transportation ................................... 186.740 188.251 191.008 3.1 2.3 1.5
New and used motor vehicles(3).............. 96.353 96.655 96.914 -2.8 0.6 0.3
New vehicles ........................................ 143.513 143.165 142.541 -0.4 -0.7 -0.4
Used cars and trucks............................ 138.957 140.374 141.436 -4.9 1.8 0.8
Motor fuel ................................................. 202.924 207.244 217.303 14.3 7.1 4.9
Gasoline (all types)............................... 201.654 206.006 216.135 14.3 7.2 4.9
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)........... 195.433 199.830 210.151 14.4 7.5 5.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)... 237.786 241.333 248.767 12.8 4.6 3.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)........ 225.941 229.518 237.977 13.3 5.3 3.7
Medical Care ................................................... 486.218 484.826 484.383 2.8 -0.4 -0.1
Medical care commodities ............................ 380.004 381.467 380.291 2.7 0.1 -0.3
Medical care services ................................... 519.192 516.796 516.619 2.9 -0.5 0.0
Professional services ............................... 418.363 416.540 417.329 3.4 -0.2 0.2
Recreation(3)................................................... 116.270 116.727 117.073 1.6 0.7 0.3
Education and communication(3).................... 131.596 128.624 127.522 -3.9 -3.1 -0.9
Other goods and services ............................... 459.798 460.521 462.509 2.0 0.6 0.4
Commodity and Service Group
All Items........................................................... 222.507 222.671 223.577 1.7 0.5 0.4
Commodities ................................................ 178.109 178.934 180.335 1.0 1.2 0.8
Commodities less food & beverages ........ 148.075 149.107 150.940 1.7 1.9 1.2
Nondurables less food & beverages .... 194.004 196.177 200.045 5.4 3.1 2.0
Nondurables less food, beverages,
and apparel ....................................... 242.974 245.039 249.799 6.0 2.8 1.9
Durables ............................................... 105.138 105.278 105.523 -2.8 0.4 0.2
Services........................................................ 274.870 274.338 274.739 2.2 0.0 0.1
Rent of shelter(2)...................................... 247.271 247.646 248.332 2.6 0.4 0.3
Transportation services ............................ 304.810 305.842 307.520 2.9 0.9 0.5
Other services .......................................... 310.890 307.696 306.731 -0.5 -1.3 -0.3
Note: See footnotes at end of table.
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Footnotes(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric
means estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 1984=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North
Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
Table 2. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Indexes and percent
changes for selected periods Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) - Continued
Item and Group
Indexes
Percent change from-
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Apr.
2017
Apr.
2016
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Special aggregate indexes:
All items less medical care .............................. 212.399 212.623 213.580 1.6 0.6 0.5
All items less food ........................................... 219.025 219.180 220.195 2.1 0.5 0.5
All items less shelter ........................................ 215.535 215.620 216.612 1.3 0.5 0.5
Commodities less food .................................... 151.040 152.064 153.866 1.7 1.9 1.2
Nondurables .................................................... 217.296 218.557 220.693 2.4 1.6 1.0
Nondurables less food..................................... 196.724 198.812 202.491 5.1 2.9 1.9
Nondurables less food and apparel................. 241.761 243.689 248.062 5.6 2.6 1.8
Services less rent of shelter(2)........................ 279.462 278.009 278.068 1.8 -0.5 0.0
Services less medical care services................ 258.758 258.341 258.774 2.1 0.0 0.2
Energy ............................................................. 189.751 190.961 195.884 9.8 3.2 2.6
All items less energy ....................................... 228.394 228.435 228.871 1.0 0.2 0.2
All items less food and energy ..................... 226.292 226.299 226.778 1.2 0.2 0.2
Commodities less food and energy
commodities ............................................. 146.977 147.582 148.189 -0.8 0.8 0.4
Energy commodities ................................. 203.338 207.152 216.746 14.2 6.6 4.6
Services less energy services .................. 286.747 286.307 286.692 2.0 0.0 0.1