The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 4.2 percent over the last 12 months in May 2026. The all items index rose 4.2 percent for the 12 months ending May, after rising 3.8 percent for the 12 months ending April.

In May 2026, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 0.5 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 4.2 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The 12-month percentage change for "All items" is listed as 4.2%.

Table 1 shows the U.S. city average CPI-U for May 2026 and includes the all items index level and related category data. It is the BLS source table accompanying the monthly CPI release.

The news release for June 2022 states: "The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.3 percent in June on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 1.0 percent in May" and that "Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 9.1 percent before seasonal adjustment." It further notes: "The all items index increased 9.1 percent for the 12 months ending June, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending November 1981."

The historical table shows that the CPI-U 12-month percent change was 8.3% in June 2022 and 4.2% in May 2026. It also lists 2022 monthly values, including June 2022 at 8.3%.

The Department of Labor’s PDF release for June 2022 states: "Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 9.1 percent before seasonal adjustment." It reiterates that "The all items index increased 9.1 percent for the 12 months ending June, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending November 1981." It also notes that the CPI-U "increased 9.1 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 296.311 (1982-84=100)."

The most recent CPI news release (for May 2026) says: "Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.8 percent before seasonal adjustment." In the "Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures" section, it adds: "The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 3.8 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 333.020 (1982-84=100)." This 3.8 percent figure is the current 12‑month inflation rate as of the May 2026 data release.

This BLS CPI database page directs users to the official CPI data and inflation calculator. It is the Bureau's gateway to current and historical CPI-U series data.

The BLS chart is a CPI line chart for 12-month percentage change in consumer prices. The source text indicates the plotted data range spans values up to 9.1, consistent with the high inflation period in 2022.

A BLS "The Economics Daily" article notes: "Over the 12 months ended June 2022, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 9.1 percent." It adds that "The 9.1-percent increase in the all items index was the largest 12-month increase since the 12-month period ending November 1981." This identifies June 2022 as a 40‑year high for U.S. CPI inflation.

BLS’s CPI charts page provides a visualization titled "12-month percentage change, Consumer Price Index, selected categories" and, for the latest data, lists: "12-month percentage change, Consumer Price Index, selected categories, **April 2026, not seasonally adjusted; 3.8% · 3.2% · 2.9% · 2.6%." While this chart focuses on categories, it reflects that recent 12‑month changes are in the low single digits, far below the 9.1% all‑items rate recorded in mid‑2022.

The regional CPI release for the West notes: "The West all items CPI-U increased **3.5 percent for the 12 months ending in May.**" In Table A, "West region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted," the June 2022 entry shows "June | 1.2 | **8.8**" for the 1‑month and 12‑month percent changes, illustrating that even at the regional level, year‑over‑year inflation in mid‑2022 was significantly higher than in 2026.

The Federal Reserve explains that inflation is commonly measured by price indexes such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index. It notes that these indexes "measure the average change in prices over time" and that the Fed focuses on inflation rates over 12‑month periods when assessing how high or low inflation is relative to past readings.

The table lists annual average CPI-U inflation rates of 8.0% for 2022 and 2.7% for 2026*. The page notes that 2026 is an estimate based on first-quarter 2025 to first-quarter 2026 CPI change, so it is not directly comparable to a monthly BLS release.

Trading Economics reports: "The annual inflation rate in the US rose to 4.2% in May 2026, marking its highest level since April 2023, from 3.8% in April and in line with market expectations." It notes that this is based on the Consumer Price Index and that monthly CPI was up 0.5% in May 2026. Historical data on the page show the inflation rate in June 2022 at 9.1%, indicating that the May 2026 rate of 4.2% remains well below the June 2022 peak.

The Cleveland Fed’s Inflation Charting tool allows users to "examine and compare the behavior of various measures of total inflation and underlying inflation." It presents charts of the 12‑month change in CPI and other indices over time, permitting visual comparison between past periods such as mid‑2022 and recent months including 2026.

This page, using BLS CPI data, states: "The annual inflation rate in the United States was 4.2% for the 12 months ending May, up from 3.8% previously, according to U.S. Labor Department data released June 10, 2026." In the table, the row for 2022 shows monthly inflation rates with "June 2022 1.2 9.1", indicating a 9.1% 12‑month inflation rate in June 2022. The 2026 row lists values through May, including "May 2026 0.5 4.2", showing that current inflation is substantially lower than in June 2022.

An IMF blog on U.S. inflation notes: "After surging to about **9 percent in mid-2022**, the headline consumer price index inflation rate has **declined sharply**, hovering around 3 to 4 percent in late 2023." It explains that the earlier spike "in June 2022 marked the highest year-over-year CPI inflation in four decades" and that subsequent readings have been far lower as pandemic and energy price shocks eased.

An inflation update from the Joint Economic Committee Republicans uses BLS CPI data to summarize recent monthly and 12‑month inflation readings. For the latest month covered, it reports: "CPI-U inflation was 0.47 percent" on a monthly basis and also discusses the year‑over‑year CPI-U rate, referencing BLS as the underlying source.

Statista’s dataset on the "monthly annual inflation rate" states that in 2022, annual price growth surged, noting that the annual inflation rate in the United States increased from 3.2 percent in 2011 to 8.3 percent in 2022. The chart provides monthly 12‑month CPI percentage changes, with June 2022 shown at around 9.1 percent and more recent 2025–2026 months in the 2–4 percent range.

BEA describes the PCE price index as another measure of inflation, noting that it "measures the prices paid by consumers for goods and services" and is used to calculate the "percent change from the same month one year ago." While numerically different from CPI, its 12‑month rate likewise surged in mid‑2022 and has been much lower in recent years, in the low single digits.

The page reproduces CPI-U data published by the BLS and states that the CPI-U is the primary measure used to track inflation in the United States. Its table includes annual CPI figures through 2026 and shows 2022 annual inflation at 7.0% and 2021 at 4.7% in the excerpted data.

Economic coverage and Federal Reserve commentary widely describe June 2022’s 9.1% CPI‑U 12‑month increase as the peak of the recent U.S. inflation surge. Subsequent monthly data through 2023, 2024, 2025 and into 2026 show a marked disinflation, with year‑over‑year CPI increases generally falling into the 3–4% range by 2024–2026, well below the June 2022 peak.