Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items (CPIAUCSL)

Definition

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items (CPIAUCSL) measures the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. It is a key indicator used to assess inflation and cost of living adjustments.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. CPIAUCSL covers approximately 93% of the total U.S. population.
2. It includes expenditures on housing, food, transportation, medical care, and other goods and services.
3. The index is calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
4. CPIAUCSL is commonly used to adjust Social Security benefits and other government entitlements.
5. The index is released monthly and provides both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data.

Review Questions

• What does CPIAUCSL measure?
• Which organization calculates the CPIAUCSL?
• How often is the CPIAUCSL data released?

Related terms

InflationRate: percentage change in the price level of goods and services over a period of time

CoreCPI: Consumer Price Index excluding food and energy prices due to their volatility

ProducerPriceIndex(PPI): measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output