CPI report
August 2026 CPI report: inflation at 3.4%, gasoline rises
August CPI rose 0.4% monthly and 3.4% annually. See the gasoline and core figures, what they mean, and the next scheduled release date.
The reported figures
The BLS August release reports core CPI, excluding food and energy, up 0.3% monthly and 2.4% annually. Gasoline rose 3.9% for the month and accounted for more than one-third of the overall monthly increase. Monthly figures here are seasonally adjusted; annual changes are not. The report covers August, even though it was published in September.
Why headline and core moved differently
Food and energy are included in headline CPI and excluded from core CPI. A large gasoline move can therefore have a more direct effect on the headline. Core is useful for another view of the trend, but households still pay for fuel and food. Neither measure describes every individual bill. Read how to read CPI before comparing differently labeled numbers.
An example of the monthly effect
For a hypothetical $2,000 basket exactly matching a 0.4% increase, the new cost would be $2,008. This is an illustration, not a claim that everyone spent eight more dollars. If your commuting pattern or housing costs differ from the average basket, your change can differ too.
Do not annualize one month as a forecast
Repeating 0.4% for 12 months would imply approximately 4.91% compound annual growth. That calculation assumes the same monthly rate repeats, which this release does not promise. It is different from the observed 3.4% change over the preceding 12 months. A monthly acceleration and an unchanged annual rate can occur together.
When the next CPI release is scheduled
The August release lists September CPI for October 14, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. That is a scheduled publication date, not a reported September result. Check BLS for schedule changes. For today’s separate PCE story, read the September 30 PCE explainer, keeping the different indexes and publication dates in view.