{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "study": "U.S. Inflation & Purchasing-Power Monitor",
  "geography": "United States",
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "official_release_date": "2026-10-14",
  "retrieved": "2026-10-26",
  "next_release": "2026-11-10",
  "official_metrics": {
    "cpi_u_all_items_index_sep_2026": 336.94,
    "all_items_monthly_sa_pct": 0.6,
    "all_items_yoy_nsa_pct": 3.7,
    "core_monthly_sa_pct": 0.3,
    "core_yoy_nsa_pct": 2.6,
    "major_group_weighted_yoy_estimate_pct": 3.75
  },
  "major_groups": [
    {
      "id": "food_beverages",
      "category": "Food and beverages",
      "relative_importance_pct": 14.33,
      "yoy_pct": 2.4
    },
    {
      "id": "housing",
      "category": "Housing",
      "relative_importance_pct": 44.14,
      "yoy_pct": 3.3
    },
    {
      "id": "apparel",
      "category": "Apparel",
      "relative_importance_pct": 2.445,
      "yoy_pct": 3.4
    },
    {
      "id": "transportation",
      "category": "Transportation",
      "relative_importance_pct": 17.086,
      "yoy_pct": 7.9
    },
    {
      "id": "medical_care",
      "category": "Medical care",
      "relative_importance_pct": 8.23,
      "yoy_pct": 1.5
    },
    {
      "id": "recreation",
      "category": "Recreation",
      "relative_importance_pct": 5.063,
      "yoy_pct": 2.8
    },
    {
      "id": "education_communication",
      "category": "Education and communication",
      "relative_importance_pct": 5.807,
      "yoy_pct": 2.3
    },
    {
      "id": "other_goods_services",
      "category": "Other goods and services",
      "relative_importance_pct": 2.9,
      "yoy_pct": 4.1
    }
  ],
  "purchasing_power_anchors": [
    {
      "period": "Sep 2016",
      "index": 241.428,
      "price_level_change_to_sep_2026_pct": 39.56,
      "dollars_in_sep_2026_needed_to_match_100_then": 139.56,
      "sep_2026_100_expressed_in_then_dollars": 71.65
    },
    {
      "period": "Sep 2021",
      "index": 274.31,
      "price_level_change_to_sep_2026_pct": 22.83,
      "dollars_in_sep_2026_needed_to_match_100_then": 122.83,
      "sep_2026_100_expressed_in_then_dollars": 81.41
    },
    {
      "period": "Sep 2023",
      "index": 307.789,
      "price_level_change_to_sep_2026_pct": 9.47,
      "dollars_in_sep_2026_needed_to_match_100_then": 109.47,
      "sep_2026_100_expressed_in_then_dollars": 91.35
    },
    {
      "period": "Sep 2025",
      "index": 324.8,
      "price_level_change_to_sep_2026_pct": 3.74,
      "dollars_in_sep_2026_needed_to_match_100_then": 103.74,
      "sep_2026_100_expressed_in_then_dollars": 96.4
    },
    {
      "period": "Sep 2026",
      "index": 336.94,
      "price_level_change_to_sep_2026_pct": 0.0,
      "dollars_in_sep_2026_needed_to_match_100_then": 100.0,
      "sep_2026_100_expressed_in_then_dollars": 100.0
    }
  ],
  "selected_pressure_points": [
    {
      "category": "Energy",
      "yoy_pct": 20.4
    },
    {
      "category": "Gasoline",
      "yoy_pct": 34.2
    },
    {
      "category": "Airline fares",
      "yoy_pct": 22.4
    },
    {
      "category": "Motor vehicle maintenance & repair",
      "yoy_pct": 5.8
    },
    {
      "category": "Hospital services",
      "yoy_pct": 5.6
    },
    {
      "category": "Electricity",
      "yoy_pct": 4.4
    },
    {
      "category": "Shelter",
      "yoy_pct": 3.2
    },
    {
      "category": "Food",
      "yoy_pct": 2.5
    },
    {
      "category": "Used cars & trucks",
      "yoy_pct": -1.5
    }
  ],
  "personal_basket_presets": [
    {
      "id": "bls_major_groups",
      "name": "BLS major-group weights",
      "weights": {
        "food_beverages": 14.33,
        "housing": 44.14,
        "apparel": 2.445,
        "transportation": 17.086,
        "medical_care": 8.23,
        "recreation": 5.063,
        "education_communication": 5.807,
        "other_goods_services": 2.9
      },
      "weight_total_pct": 100.001,
      "weighted_inflation_pct": 3.75
    },
    {
      "id": "housing_heavy",
      "name": "Illustrative housing-heavy household",
      "weights": {
        "food_beverages": 12,
        "housing": 55,
        "apparel": 2,
        "transportation": 10,
        "medical_care": 8,
        "recreation": 4,
        "education_communication": 4,
        "other_goods_services": 5
      },
      "weight_total_pct": 100,
      "weighted_inflation_pct": 3.49
    },
    {
      "id": "transport_heavy",
      "name": "Illustrative transport-heavy household",
      "weights": {
        "food_beverages": 14,
        "housing": 30,
        "apparel": 2,
        "transportation": 30,
        "medical_care": 8,
        "recreation": 5,
        "education_communication": 6,
        "other_goods_services": 5
      },
      "weight_total_pct": 100,
      "weighted_inflation_pct": 4.37
    },
    {
      "id": "medical_heavy",
      "name": "Illustrative medical-heavy household",
      "weights": {
        "food_beverages": 12,
        "housing": 35,
        "apparel": 2,
        "transportation": 12,
        "medical_care": 25,
        "recreation": 4,
        "education_communication": 5,
        "other_goods_services": 5
      },
      "weight_total_pct": 100,
      "weighted_inflation_pct": 3.27
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "name": "BLS CPI September 2026 news release",
      "url": "https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.htm",
      "role": "Current CPI-U, major-group weights and annual changes"
    },
    {
      "name": "BLS CPI home / latest release",
      "url": "https://www.bls.gov/cpi/",
      "role": "Release summary and next-release schedule"
    },
    {
      "name": "BLS CPI-U historical table, U.S. city average",
      "url": "https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/consumerpriceindexhistorical_us_table.htm",
      "role": "Historical September CPI-U index anchors"
    }
  ],
  "notes": [
    "Major expenditure-group relative importance values sum to 100.001% because BLS publishes rounded weights.",
    "The personal-basket estimate is a weighted illustration using current 12-month major-group changes; it is not an official personal CPI and does not reproduce the full BLS index methodology.",
    "Selected pressure-point categories overlap major groups and are shown for context only; they should not be added together."
  ]
}