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Current US Inflation Rate: A Live Tracker Explained

Zach Hill · October 14, 2026

Last Updated: October 14, 2026

Current U.S. Inflation Rate (CPI-U YoY)

3.7%

September 2026 reading  |  Core CPI: 2.6%  |  Released October 14, 2026

See the live inflation rate page with calculator →

The U.S. inflation rate is the year-over-year (YoY) percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), as published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of September 2026, the rate is 3.7%, up from 3.4% in August and still below May's 4.2% peak. Core inflation — which excludes volatile food and energy prices — is at 2.6%, up from 2.4% in August.

What Changed in the September 2026 CPI Report

The September CPI report showed inflation picking up again after a summer cooldown. The all-items index rose 0.6% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, after a 0.4% increase in August. Over the last 12 months, headline CPI rose 3.7% before seasonal adjustment. The CPI-U index level is 336.940 (1982–84 = 100).

Gasoline was the main monthly driver. The BLS reported that gasoline rose 9.1% in September and accounted for about half of the monthly all-items increase. Over the year, gasoline is up 34.2% and the broader energy index is up 20.4%. The energy index rose 5.2% in September after a 2.1% increase in August.

Food was unchanged for the month and up 2.5% over the year. Food at home fell 0.1% in September and is up 1.8% over the year; food away from home rose 0.2% on the month and 3.5% over the year. Shelter increased 0.4% in September and 3.2% over the year.

Core inflation rose 0.3% for the month and 2.6% over the year. That is a firmer core reading than August's 2.4%, so the September jump was not only energy.

Earlier 2026 readings, for context: June 3.5% (index 333.952), July 3.4% (index 333.918), and August 3.4% (index 334.980). May remains the 2026 high at 4.2%.

What the Inflation Rate Measures

CPI-U tracks the price changes of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by urban U.S. consumers. The basket is weighted by spending category — housing (~33%), transportation (~17%), food (~13%), medical care (~9%), recreation, education, and other categories. When the BLS reports an inflation rate of 3.7%, it means the basket costs 3.7% more in the current month than it did 12 months earlier.

Why the Inflation Rate Matters for the National Debt

Every percentage point of inflation transfers real wealth from creditors to debtors. With the U.S. federal government holding $40+ trillion in dollar-denominated debt, the current 3.7% inflation rate produces an annual "inflation tax" of roughly $1.48 trillion — about $46,900 every second — silently reducing the real burden of the debt while transferring purchasing power away from anyone holding cash, bonds, or fixed-income assets.

How to Read Each Monthly CPI Release

The BLS publishes CPI-U data on the second week of each month, covering the prior calendar month. Three numbers matter most:

  1. Headline YoY — the topline rate compared to the same month last year (currently 3.7%)
  2. Core YoY — excluding food and energy, the Fed's preferred trend measure (currently 2.6%)
  3. Month-over-month — the change vs. the prior month, useful for short-term momentum (September 2026: +0.6% SA)

Historical Context

Before today's 3.7%, the 2026 high was 4.2% in May. The most recent inflationary peak was 9.1% in June 2022 — the highest in 40 years. The all-time U.S. peak was 18.0% in 1918, driven by WWI and the Spanish Flu. The lowest was −9.9% deflation in 1932 during the Great Depression. The full year-by-year history is available on our Inflation Rate by Year dataset, including a downloadable CSV.

The next CPI release, covering October 2026 inflation, is scheduled for November 10, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Where to Track the Rate Going Forward

More U.S. debt analysis · Live US Debt Clock