What is the meaning of Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the consumer price index (CPI) is a monthly gauge of inflation that measures changes in the prices of basic goods and services, such as housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical care, and education. Compiled monthly by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPI often incorrectly referred to as the cost-of-living index is used as a benchmark for making adjustments in Social Security payments, wages, pensions, and tax brackets to keep them in tune with the buying power of the dollar.

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APABarry Goldsmith. (2010). Consumer Price Index (CPI). Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/consumer_price_index_(cpi)/definitions/1150609
ChicagoBarry Goldsmith. 2010. "Consumer Price Index (CPI)" http://smartdefine.org/consumer_price_index_(cpi)/definitions/1150609 (accessed September 22, 2026).
HarvardBarry Goldsmith 2010, Consumer Price Index (CPI), Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/consumer_price_index_(cpi)/definitions/1150609>.
MLABarry Goldsmith. "Consumer Price Index (CPI)" 21 October 2010. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/consumer_price_index_(cpi)/definitions/1150609>