Macro Release Desk

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · data retrieved October 15, 2026

Indicator brief · CUUR0000SA0L1E

What is the latest core CPI inflation rate?

Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 2.6% over the 12 months ending September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Seasonally adjusted, it changed +0.3% from the prior month.

Reference period September 2026 · retrieved from the agency on October 15, 2026 · next release November 10, 2026, 08:30 ET

Latest print · September 2026

2.6% y/y

1-month change (SA)
+0.3%
3-month annualized (SA)
3.4%
6-month annualized (SA)
2.9%
Index level (NSA)
339.287
I.

What the latest numbers show

  1. Core CPI rose 2.6% in the 12 months to September 2026, up from 2.4% a month earlier.
  2. On a seasonally adjusted basis prices moved +0.3% in September 2026; compounded, the last three months run at 3.4% annualized and the last six at 2.9%.
  3. Over the past five years the 12-month rate ranged from 2.4% (Aug 2026) to 6.6% (Sep 2022); the highest reading in this 104-month window was 6.6% in Sep 2022.
  4. The 12-month rate has been above 2% for 65 consecutive months. (The Fed's 2% goal refers to PCE inflation, not CPI, so this is context rather than a target test.)
II.

History

Core CPI (less food and energy): 12-month percent changeMonthly 12-month percent change in core CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted, Jan 2018 to Sep 2026. Latest: 2026-09 2.6%.02468201820202022202420262%
Monthly 12-month percent change in core CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted, Jan 2018 to Sep 2026. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved October 15, 2026.

Recent observations

MonthIndex (NSA)12-mo %1-mo % (SA)
Sep 2026339.2872.6+0.3
Aug 2026338.0412.4+0.3
Jul 2026337.1332.5+0.2
Jun 2026336.8822.6−0.0
May 2026336.8462.9+0.2
Apr 2026335.8032.8+0.4
Mar 2026334.3912.6+0.2
Feb 2026333.2422.5+0.2
Jan 2026331.9502.5+0.3
Dec 2025330.5062.6+0.2
Nov 2025330.4252.6—
Sep 2025330.8043.0+0.2
Aug 2025329.9703.1+0.3
 Values as published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; computed columns are ours.
III.

What it measures

Core CPI is the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers excluding food and energy (BLS series CUUR0000SA0L1E, seasonally adjusted CUSR0000SA0L1E). Removing the two most volatile categories makes the underlying trend easier to see, though households still pay for food and energy.

Shelter (rent and owners’ equivalent rent) is the largest component of core CPI, so it tends to move core inflation slowly and with a lag relative to market rents.

IV.

How and when it is published

BLS data collectors record tens of thousands of prices and rent quotes each month across urban areas, and BLS weights them by spending shares from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys.

The release is published at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, typically in the second week of the following month. Seasonal factors are revised each February for the previous five years.

Next scheduled release: November 10, 2026 at 08:30 ET (release calendar).

V.

Sources

VI.

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