U.S. consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said Tuesday, exceeding economists’ expectations despite slowing from September’s monthly pace.
Economists in a Wall Street Journal survey had expected a 0.3% increase. The reading followed a 0.6% rise in September. Prices excluding food and energy advanced 0.3% for a third straight month, compared with the survey’s 0.2% forecast.
The energy index’s monthly gain was 0.7%, down from 5.2% in September. The overall food index rose 0.5%; food at home advanced 0.4%, while food away from home was up 0.5% on a nonseasonally adjusted basis. Shelter increased 0.3%, accounting for more than 30% of October’s overall monthly CPI rise.
The BLS did not report annual inflation rates for most categories: A lapse in federal funding prevented it from collecting the consumer price survey data needed for comparisons with October 2025.
The BLS is scheduled to release November’s consumer price report Dec. 10 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
