US Inflation Rate 2026: Current CPI Data
This page tracks the United States consumer price index through 2026 and is updated after each monthly BLS release. Use it to check where inflation stands now, then use the calculators to convert specific amounts.
What the July 2026 report showed
Headline CPI rose 0.1% on the month on a seasonally adjusted basis and 3.4% over the year on an unadjusted basis. Shelter remained the largest single contributor to the annual increase. Core CPI rose 0.2% on the month and 2.5% over the year, which is the figure most closely watched by the Federal Reserve because it strips out the two most volatile categories.
How to read a CPI release
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Headline CPI | All items, including food and energy. The number quoted in most news coverage. |
| Core CPI | All items except food and energy. Less volatile, so it is treated as a better signal of the underlying trend. |
| Seasonally adjusted | Smoothed to remove predictable seasonal patterns. Used for month-on-month comparisons. |
| Not seasonally adjusted | Raw data. Used for the headline 12-month figure and for contract escalation clauses. |
| CPI-U | The index for all urban consumers, covering roughly 93% of the US population. |
Why the rate you feel differs from the official number
CPI is a national average across a fixed basket. Your personal inflation rate depends on what you actually buy and where you live. A renter in a high-cost metro area facing steep shelter increases will experience something quite different from a homeowner with a fixed mortgage. The index is not wrong, it simply measures the average rather than any individual household.
BLS release schedule
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPI monthly, generally in the second week of the following month at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Each release covers the prior calendar month.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current US inflation rate?
3.4% for the 12 months ending July 2026, per the latest BLS release. This figure updates automatically each month.
Is inflation going down in 2026?
The annual rate eased from 3.5% to 3.4% in the July report, continuing a gradual cooling from the 2022 peak. Month-to-month movements are small and can reverse, so a single reading is not a trend.
What is the Federal Reserve's target?
The Fed targets 2% inflation over the longer run, measured using the PCE price index rather than CPI. PCE typically runs slightly below CPI.