A closer look at today's inflation numbers

Consumer prices rose 0.4% in August and 3.4% over the past year. But the details are a little more interesting:

• Gas prices rose 3.9% in August and are up 27.4% over the past year
• Airline fares rose 2.7%
• Restaurant prices rose 0.3%, while grocery prices were flat
• Shelter rose 0.3%
• Motor vehicle insurance fell 0.8%

Gasoline alone accounted for more than one-third of the overall monthly increase.

It’s a good example of why the headline inflation number doesn’t always tell the whole story. What people actually experience can look very different depending on where they spend their money.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index – August 2026