The monthly increase eased from September’s 0.6%. The government did not publish the usual annual comparison because a shutdown stopped data collection in October 2025.
US consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, down from a 0.6% increase in September, as households continued to face rising prices at a slower monthly pace. The October figure was adjusted for seasonal patterns.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish the usual year-over-year figure for its consumer price index, a measure of prices for a basket of goods and services. Data were not collected during the October 2025 government shutdown, leaving no figure for the corresponding month a year earlier.
The index excluding food and energy, known as core CPI, rose 0.3% in October, also adjusted for seasonal patterns. Shelter prices rose, while energy prices increased slightly but less than in September.
The headline increase was slightly above expectations, The Guardian said. It also cited AAA’s separate pump-price observations: the average gasoline price fell from $4.41 a gallon at the beginning of October to $4.22 during the month. The average fell below $4 on 9 November for the first time since July. Those pump prices are not the CPI gasoline measure.
The Guardian said higher energy costs driven by the Iran war, which began in late February, were the main factor behind increased inflation, which had been above an annualized 3% since the war began. It said inflation reached 4.2% in May, a three-year high, before fluctuating between 3.4% and 3.7%.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates in September for the first time since 2023. Higher rates make borrowing more expensive, slowing the economy, and can slow inflation. The central bank’s inflation target is 2%.
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said on 28 October that the central bank’s job was to prevent relative price changes in some sectors from spreading across the economy and to keep inflation expectations anchored. The Guardian said it was unclear how much or how quickly a rate increase could ease inflation tied closely to energy prices.
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Higher gasoline prices also featured in Republicans’ assessment of their midterm losses: party members including JD Vance cited frustration over those prices. The election will give Democrats control of Congress.
The Guardian said the Federal Reserve is expected to raise rates again at its next meeting in December.
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