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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The latest published U.S. inflation reading is 3.4% over the 12 months ending August 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The headline was not 3.0%: that figure belongs to the year ending September 2025. In August, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) also rose 0.4% from July on a seasonally adjusted basis. September 2026 data were scheduled for release on October 14, 2026, so they were not yet available as of October 7.
What is the current U.S. inflation rate?
As of October 7, 2026, the newest available BLS report put CPI-U inflation at 3.4% over the 12 months ending August 2026. This is the unadjusted year-over-year change in the all-items index. The latest monthly change was different: CPI-U rose 0.4% in August from July after seasonal adjustment. These figures describe different time windows, so 3.4% is not the amount prices rose in August alone. BLS August 2026 CPI release.
The 3.0% figure in the title is historical. BLS reported CPI-U inflation of 3.0% for the 12 months ending September 2025, in a release published October 24, 2025. It should not be described as the current rate in October 2026. BLS September 2025 CPI release.
What did the latest CPI report show?
| Measure | August 2026 change | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| CPI-U, all items, 12 months | 3.4%, not seasonally adjusted | Change from August 2025 to August 2026 |
| CPI-U, all items, one month | 0.4%, seasonally adjusted | Change from July to August 2026 |
| Core CPI, 12 months | 2.4%, not seasonally adjusted | All items excluding food and energy, compared with August 2025 |
| Core CPI, one month | 0.3%, seasonally adjusted | All items excluding food and energy, compared with July 2026 |
Core CPI is the all-items-less-food-and-energy measure. It is useful as a separate view of price changes, but it is not a replacement for headline CPI-U, which includes food and energy. BLS generally reports monthly movements seasonally adjusted and 12-month changes unadjusted. BLS Consumer Price Index overview.
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What drove the August increase?
Gasoline prices rose 3.9% in August, accounting for more than one third of that month’s increase in the all-items index. The energy index rose 2.1% for the month. Shelter rose 0.3%, food rose 0.1%, and core CPI increased 0.3%, all on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis.
Over the 12 months ending August 2026, the energy index increased 16.3% and food increased 2.7%; core CPI rose 2.4%. The monthly figures show which categories contributed to the latest movement, while the annual figures compare prices with a year earlier. BLS August 2026 CPI release.
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What CPI measures—and what it does not
BLS describes CPI as measuring changes over time in the prices consumers pay for goods and services. CPI-U tracks a market basket for urban consumers, with indexes published for the U.S. and geographic areas as well as average prices for selected items. It is a broad national measure, not a calculation of any one household’s personal inflation.
Your own cost changes can differ because your spending mix and location differ from the index’s broad basket. For example, BLS’s August 2026 table showed a 3.4% year-over-year rate for the U.S. city average and 3.9% for the Northeast. Those are geographic index readings, not estimates of every resident’s individual expenses. BLS CPI information.
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CPI-U and chained CPI are different measures
BLS also publishes the Chained CPI for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U), which accounts for changes in consumers’ expenditure patterns as relative prices change. It is a distinct measure from CPI-U, initially preliminary and subject to revision as expenditure data arrive. When comparing reported rates, identify the measure, period, seasonal-adjustment basis, basket scope, and geography rather than treating every CPI percentage as interchangeable. BLS explanation of the Chained CPI.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When is the next CPI report?
The September 2026 CPI report was scheduled for October 14, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. It had not been released as of October 7, so August remained the latest published reading at that point. CPI figures can change with each release; BLS also notes that archived data may be revised and seasonally adjusted figures can be revised in later releases. BLS August 2026 release and release schedule; BLS CPI revisions information.
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