U.S. BLS
Monthly
Index 1982-1984=100 CPILFESL
Core CPI (ex food & energy)
YoY
+2.8%
▲
Index 337.8 (prev 336.8)
2026-08-01 as of ・Index 1982-1984=100
Next scheduled release：Wed, Oct 14, 2026（Consumer Price Index）
CPI excluding volatile food and energy. Used to gauge the underlying trend in prices, and often watched more closely than headline CPI for policy.
Key points
- CPI ex food & energy — shows the underlying trend
- Less swayed by temporary swings; good for the trend
- Closely watched for monetary policy
How to read it
Stripping out food and energy captures "underlying" inflation that is less swayed by temporary factors. Read on a YoY basis; it moves more smoothly than headline CPI. Central banks emphasize core measures for the trend.
Trend
Year by year
Shows the year-over-year change (%) from 2017-10 to 2026-08, grouped by calendar year.
Latest+2.8%2026-08-01
Period high+6.6%Sep 2022
Period low+1.2%Jun 2020
| Year | Average | Year-end | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (months 1–8) | +2.6% | +2.4% | +2.8% | +2.4% |
| 2025 | +2.9% | +2.6% | +3.3% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | +3.4% | +3.2% | +3.9% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | +4.8% | +3.9% | +5.6% | +3.9% |
| 2022 | +6.2% | +5.7% | +6.6% | +5.7% |
| 2021 | +3.6% | +5.5% | +5.5% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | +1.7% | +1.6% | +2.4% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | +2.2% | +2.3% | +2.4% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | +2.1% | +2.2% | +2.3% | +1.9% |
| 2017 (months 10–12) | +1.8% | +1.8% | +1.8% | +1.7% |
Recent trend
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-01 | 337.77 | +0.98 |
| 2026-07-01 | 336.79 | +0.72 |
| 2026-06-01 | 336.07 | -0.06 |
| 2026-05-01 | 336.12 | +0.7 |
| 2026-04-01 | 335.42 | +1.26 |
| 2026-03-01 | 334.17 | +0.65 |
| 2026-02-01 | 333.51 | +0.72 |
| 2026-01-01 | 332.79 | +0.98 |
| 2025-12-01 | 331.81 | +0.77 |
| 2025-11-01 | 331.04 | +0.63 |
| 2025-09-01 | 330.42 | +0.72 |
| 2025-08-01 | 329.7 | +1.02 |
FAQ
Core CPI (ex food & energy): what is the latest reading?
As of Aug 2026, it is +2.8% (year over year). Since Oct 2017, the high was +6.6% (Sep 2022) and the low was +1.2% (Jun 2020). The next release is scheduled for Wed, Oct 14, 2026.
Why exclude food and energy?
Their prices are volatile and driven by temporary factors. Excluding them makes the persistent, underlying trend easier to see.
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent summary based on the official U.S. data below. Please verify the latest and exact details with the official sources.
- FRED (series page)：CPILFESL
- Source agency：U.S. BLS
- FRED last updated：2026-09-11 08:37:53-05
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