Fact Check: Core consumer prices rose 2.9 percent compared to a year ago.

Published July 15, 2025

•By

VERDICT

Partially True

# Fact Check: "Core consumer prices rose 2.9 percent compared to a year ago." ## What We Know The claim that "core consumer prices rose 2.9 percent c...

Fact Check: "Core consumer prices rose 2.9 percent compared to a year ago."

What We Know

The claim that "core consumer prices rose 2.9 percent compared to a year ago" is misleading. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the core Consumer Price Index (CPI), which excludes volatile food and energy prices, actually increased by 2.8% annually as of May 2025. This figure is consistent with other reports indicating that core inflation remains elevated but below the levels seen in previous years. Furthermore, the overall CPI, which includes all items, rose by 2.4% over the same period, with food prices specifically increasing by 2.9% (Reuters, Global Statistics).

Analysis

The core CPI is a critical measure as it reflects underlying inflation trends by excluding food and energy prices, which can fluctuate significantly. The reported increase of 2.8% in core CPI is indeed a decrease from previous years, indicating a trend towards stabilizing inflation levels (U.S. Inflation Calculator).

While the claim mentions a 2.9% increase, it appears to conflate the core CPI with the overall CPI or specific components like food prices. The distinction is crucial: the core CPI is a more stable measure of inflation, while the overall CPI can be influenced by temporary spikes in food and energy costs.

The reliability of the sources used to verify this claim is high. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is the authoritative source for CPI data, and its reports are widely regarded as accurate and comprehensive. Other sources, such as Reuters and Global Statistics, provide corroborating information but may not be as primary as the BLS.

Conclusion

The claim that "core consumer prices rose 2.9 percent compared to a year ago" is Partially True. While it correctly identifies a significant increase in consumer prices, it inaccurately represents the core CPI figure, which is actually 2.8%. This discrepancy highlights the importance of distinguishing between different measures of inflation when discussing economic indicators.

Sources

Have a claim you want to verify? It's 100% Free!

Our AI-powered fact-checker analyzes claims against thousands of reliable sources and provides evidence-based verdicts in seconds. Completely free with no registration required.

💡 Try:

"Coffee helps you live longer"

✓100% Free

✓No Registration

✓Instant Results