According to the US Department of Labor, the consumer price index in the country increased by 3.5% in March compared to the same period last year. The rate of acceleration of inflation increased from 3.2% in February and became the highest since September 2023. The actual figure also exceeded analysts' forecasts, which had expected an increase to 3.4%. Energy prices increased by 2.1% year-on-year for the first time since February 2023. Gasoline rose in price by 1.3%. Food and housing prices remained stable at 2.2% and 5.7%, respectively. The CPI index for March increased by 0.4% compared to the previous month, and the Core CPI index, which excludes food and energy, also increased by 0.4%. These data are carefully analyzed by the Federal Reserve System, which monitors the inflation rate when making monetary policy decisions. The next Fed meeting is scheduled for April 30-May 1.
