Release Date for Upcoming Consumer Price Index Report
U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) Report to be Released on September 11, 2025
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is set to release the next Consumer Price Index (CPI) report on September 11, 2025, at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. This report, a crucial indicator of inflation, will provide insights into the price changes of consumer goods and services over the course of August 2025.
The CPI report is compiled monthly, with the data reflecting the price changes from the previous month. For instance, the August 2025 CPI data will shed light on the price fluctuations experienced in July 2025.
In the most recent report, covering July 2025, consensus estimates predict a 0.3% gain in core prices, pushing the annual rate to 3.0%. This upward trend has been a persistent concern for economists and policymakers, given that inflation hit a four-decade high in 2022.
The CPI is a key inflation measure, widely used to evaluate price changes across various consumer goods and services. It is more relatable to what consumers experience in their daily lives, making it an essential tool for understanding the cost of living.
The Federal Reserve, in its efforts to combat high inflation, embarked on its most aggressive campaign of interest rate hikes since the late Carter and early Reagan administrations. The Fed's long-term 2% target for inflation is based on the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE), which some believe has advantages over the CPI when formulating monetary policy.
The current range of the federal funds rate stands at 4.25% to 4.5%. The implementation of price-raising tariffs and a resilient labor market have made the central bank reluctant to reduce the federal funds rate, despite inflation peaking in 2022.
Following the July jobs report, the odds of a September rate cut shot up to 87%. However, the Fed remains cautious, aware that easing too soon could cause inflation to resurface, forcing another pivot back to rate hikes.
Data for the CPI report is collected from approximately 50,000 landlords or tenants and from about 23,000 retail and service establishments in 75 urban areas throughout the country. The weight for an item in the CPI is derived from reported expenditures on that item as estimated by the Consumer Expenditure Survey.
The CPI report is broken down into many subcategories, but the two main ones you'll hear most about on CPI day are headline CPI and core CPI. The headline CPI number is the primary inflation gauge.
RBC BlueBay Chief Investment Officer Mark Dowding notes that the risks for the next CPI report sit on the high side. As the September 11, 2025, release of the CPI report approaches, economists and policymakers will watch closely to gauge the effectiveness of the Fed's monetary policy and the trajectory of inflation.
- The approaching release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report on September 11, 2025, has sparked interest in the finance world, as economists and policymakers anticipate the potential impact on inflation based on consensus estimates predicting a 0.3% gain in core prices.
- The CPI report serves as a crucial instrument for investors, such as Mark Dowding, Chief Investment Officer at RBC BlueBay, who closely monitor its release to evaluate the effectiveness of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy and the trajectory of inflation.
