(News Bulletin 247) – The rise in prices slowed in the United States in February to reach lows in almost two years, show official statistics published on Tuesday.
The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.4% month-on-month, following a 0.5% increase in January, the Labor Department said.
Over one year, the CPI index rose by 6%, its lowest level since September 2021, compared with a figure of 6.4% in January.
These figures are fully in line with the expectations of economists, who predicted an average monthly increase of 0.4% in the CPI index and 6% on an annual basis.
Excluding energy and food products, inflation nevertheless accelerated slightly last month to stand at 0.5% from one month to the next, while the consensus was expecting it at 0.4%.
This price increase was fueled by the costs of housing, entertainment, home furnishings and airline ticket prices, despite an ebb in the prices of used cars and health services. .
On an annual basis, the ‘core’ CPI stands at 5.5%, a figure which is in line with analysts’ forecasts. In this specific case, it is the lowest since December 2021.
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