Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Table 1, September 2026. Chart: Author.
In September 2026, the inflation rate in the States was reported to be 3.7% per year increase compared to 3.4 % in the previous month of August. All categories show different growth rates.
Energy prices have risen significantly compared to the other indices, most of which did not change much.
Compared to the overall CPI, which was recorded at 3.7% and core CPI at 2.6%, energy prices have risen above 20.4% during the period of one year.
While high gasoline prices can have an effect that drives up spending for those who drive cars, they also affect businesses that will experience higher transportation costs. However, it is hard to point to the amount of this extra fee that customers will pay just based on these figures.
High gasoline prices can lead to more money spent for those driving cars. Moreover, it changes the businesses because transport will get pricier, but it is difficult to tell how much the consumers will pay for all these extra expenses.
Food prices were raised by 2.5% while food prices at home increased by 1.8%. Rent was raised by 3.2% and clothing prices increased by 3.4%.
The effect of inflation means a lot depending on the spending habits. If a person spends much money on driving and gasoline, he/she may feel the effect of inflation differently than someone who has different spending priorities.
It is also important to remember that a lower rate of inflation does not mean that the prices drop. When inflation is positive, prices will generally keep going up but only at a slower pace.
Some things got cheaper in price like used cars by 1.5%, medicine goods by 3.3% and car insurance by 5.0%. New car prices presents a slight increase of just about 0.6%.
The statistics are showing that inflation has different effects on our everyday expenditures. The price of energy has taken a steep increase while prices in certain categories have risen slower than the energy prices or even decreased.
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Consumer Price Index (CPI) News Release.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Consumer Price Index (CPI).