Consumer Price Index, South Region — April 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the South region increased 0.8 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The energy index rose 5.8 percent over the month. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent in April. The food index rose 0.5 percent over the pricing period. (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 3.6 percent for the 12 months ending April, after increasing 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending March. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index increased 17.9 percent for the 12 months ending April. The food index rose 3.0 percent over the last year.

The food index rose 0.5 percent in April. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 0.7 percent over the month. Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in April, including meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+1.1 percent) and fruits and vegetables (+1.2 percent). The index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) increased 0.3 percent in April.

The food index increased 3.0 percent over the last 12 months. The food at home index increased 2.5 percent for the 12 months ending April as prices increased in 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. The food away from home index rose 3.6 percent over the past year.

The energy index rose 5.8 percent in April, largely due to a 11.5-percent increase in the gasoline index. The index for natural gas declined 2.2 percent over the month and the index for electricity declined 0.3 percent.

The energy index advanced 17.9 percent for the 12 months ending April, led by a 32.0-percent increase in the gasoline index. The electricity (+2.9 percent) and the natural gas (+7.0 percent) indexes also increased over the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent in April. The shelter index increased 0.4 percent over the month. Owners' equivalent rent (+0.3 percent) and household furnishings and operations (+1.6 percent) were among the indexes to increase in April.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent over the last 12 months. The shelter index increased 2.7 percent over the last year, due in part to an increase in the owners' equivalent rent index (+2.8 percent).

The Consumer Price Index for May 2026 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 10, 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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