11.09.202512:33:06UTC+00US Inflation Rate Accelerates in August

In August 2025, the United States saw its annual inflation rate climb to 2.9%, marking the highest point since January of the same year. This increase followed a steady rate of 2.7% observed in both June and July and was anticipated by market analysts. Several factors contributed to this rise, including a faster increase in the prices of food, which went up by 3.2% compared to 2.9% in July, and a marked acceleration in the costs of used cars and trucks, which surged to 6% from a previous 4.8%. New vehicles also experienced a price uptick, with rates going from 0.4% to 0.7%. Energy prices, which registered growth for the first time in seven months, rose by 0.2%, reversing the previous trend of a 1.6% decline. Specifically, the rate of decrease for gasoline and fuel oil prices slowed, with gasoline prices down 6.6% as opposed to a 9.5% fall earlier, and fuel oil dropping 0.5% compared to a 2.9% decrease. Natural gas prices remained significantly high at 13.8%. In contrast, inflation for transportation services held steady at 3.5%, and there was a slight deceleration for shelter costs, which decreased to 3.6% from 3.7%. On a month-to-month basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.4%, exceeding predictions of a 0.3% rise and representing the most substantial growth since January. The shelter category contributed most significantly to this upward movement, rising by 0.4%. Meanwhile, core inflation stayed constant at 3.1%, mirroring July’s rates and matching the peak experienced in February, with the core CPI also maintaining a steady month-on-month increase of 0.3%, aligning with both July’s figures and market expectations.