Consumer prices rose 3.3% in March, as energy prices spiked due to Iran conflict

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC

Published Fri, Apr 10 2026 8:31 AM EDT Updated 2 Min Ago


Consumer prices spiked in March as the Iran war sent energy costs soaring and took the Federal Reserve further from its inflation target, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Underlying inflation, however, was relatively tame.

The consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.3%, pushed by a 10.9% surge in energy costs. Both numbers were in line with the Dow Jones consensus. The annual rate was the highest since April 2024 and up from 2.4% in February.



However, excluding food and energy, core prices rose much less – just 0.2% for the month and 2.6% from a year ago, both 0.1 percentage point below forecast, indicating that underlying inflation was more contained. There even were even pockets of outright price declines, as medical care, personal care, and used cars and trucks all fell during the month.

The Iran conflict was the story for the monthly inflation reading, as gasoline soared 21.2%, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the headline price increase, according to the BLS.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/10/cpi-inflation-report-march-2026.html

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From the source -

Link to tweet

BLS-Labor Statistics
@BLS_gov
CPI for all items rises 0.9% in March; gasoline up #BLSData https://bls.gov/news.release/a
rchives/cpi_04102026.htm
8:30 AM · Apr 10, 2026

Article updated.

Previous articles/headline -

Published Fri, Apr 10 2026 8:31 AM EDT Updated 2 Min Ago


Consumer prices spiked in March as the Iran war sent energy costs soaring and took the Federal Reserve further from its inflation target, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report Friday.

The consumer price index increased 0.9% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.3%, pushed by a 10.9% surge in energy costs. Both numbers were in line with the Dow Jones consensus.

However, excluding food and energy, core prices rose much less - just 0.2% for the month and 2.6% from a year ago, both 0.1 percentage point below forecast, indicating that underlying inflation was more contained.


This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

Original article/headline -

Consumer prices rose 3.3% in March, as expected

Published Fri, Apr 10 2026 8:31 AM EDT


The consumer price index was expected to show a 3.3% year-over-year gain in March, according to the Dow Jones consensus estimate.


This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

[Walleye]

1. This is what Trump is talking about when he says we have the hottest country in the world

This is not a good thing like he thinks it is. He’s so dumb.

[progree]

2. GRAPHS - more words to come, but for now, here is the "silent" version

Regular CPI, aka "all items" -- includes food and energy



CORE CPI - does not include food and energy



I guess the fuel and fertilizer spike-up since the beginning of the current Iran War (which started February 28) have not filtered down yet to non-food, non-energy items yet, given that the CORE (which doesn't include food nor energy) increased only 0.196% (2.38% annualized) from February to March, if their numbers are to be believed. The 0.196% rounds to 0.2% which is what's reported.

(The 0.196% is calculated using their actual index numbers as is the annualization).

REGULAR: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0

CORE: http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L1E

[617Blue]

4. So...not good.

[Johnny2X2X]

3. The 0.9% month over month is insane

If that kept up for a year you're talking 10.8% inflation year over year. Biden had 1 month at 9.1% and the entire country lost their minds over it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. MaddowBlog- U.S. inflation surged in March, pushed higher by the effects of the war in Iran

Trump told the public last week that there’s been “no inflation.” That was absurd at the time, and it’s worse now.

Trump, in his national address last week: There’s been “no inflation.”

Reality, this week: Yeah, about that....
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-10T13:05:41.803Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/u-s-inflation-surged-in-march-pushed-higher-by-the-effects-of-the-war-in-iran

On Thursday, core personal consumption expenditures price index, which is closely watched by the Federal Reserve to gauge inflation, offered more discouraging news. On Friday morning, things looked even worse. CNBC reported:

Consumer prices spiked in March as the Iran war sent energy costs soaring and took the Federal Reserve further from its inflation target, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report Friday. Underlying inflation, however, was relatively tame.

The consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.3%, pushed by a 10.9% surge in energy costs.

The data was entirely in line with expectations, but that won’t matter much to American consumers who are struggling with the highest CPI in two years. What’s more, inflation in March showed the highest one-month increase in prices in roughly four years, when oil prices spiked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The price of gasoline, meanwhile, saw its largest one-month increase since 1967.

[Ray Bruns]

6. You know what would solve this problem? Another tax cut for billionaires and corporations.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. CPI inflation soars by most since 2022 as gas prices bite

Yahoo Finance
CPI inflation soars by most since 2022 as gas prices bite

Emma Ockerman
Updated Fri, April 10, 2026 at 9:32 AM EDT 2 min read

Consumer prices in March saw the largest monthly gain since 2022 as the US-Israel war against Iran sent gas prices skyrocketing past $4 a gallon.

Headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation clocked in 3.3% higher than a year ago while rising 0.9% on a monthly basis in a rapid acceleration from February’s levels, according to Labor Department data released Friday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had anticipated a 3.4% increase from a year ago and 0.9% from a month prior.

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