Consumer Price Index, South Region — March 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the South region increased 1.3 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The energy index rose 14.2 percent over the month. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.3 percent in March, and the food index rose 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The South all items CPI-U advanced 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending March, after increasing 1.8 percent for the 12 months ending February. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.2 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index rose 13.2 percent for the 12 months ending March. The food index increased 2.5 percent over the last year.

The food index rose 0.1 percent in March. The index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) increased 0.3 percent over the month. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) was unchanged in March.

The food index increased 2.5 percent over the last 12 months. The food away from home index rose 3.6 percent over the past year. The food at home index increased 1.8 percent for the 12 months ending March as prices increased in 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups, including other food at home (+2.9 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+5.9 percent).

The energy index rose 14.2 percent in March, largely due to a 28.2-percent increase in the gasoline index. The index for electricity rose 2.2 percent over the month. In contrast, the index for natural gas declined 0.4 percent over the same period.

The energy index advanced 13.2 percent for the 12 months ending March, led by a 21.5-percent increase in the gasoline index. The electricity (+4.3 percent) and the natural gas (+8.3 percent) indexes also increased over the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.3 percent in March. The shelter index increased 0.4 percent over the month. The index for owners' equivalent rent rose 0.3 percent in March.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.2 percent over the last 12 months. The shelter index increased 2.5 percent over the last year. The index for owners' equivalent rent rose 2.7 percent over the same period.

The Consumer Price Index for April 2026 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Consumer Price Index for the South region is published monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program.

The South region is comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

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