U.S. consumer prices decreased 0.4 percent in June after rising 0.5 percent in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. It was the largest one-month decline in the all-items Consumer Price Index since April 2020, driven mainly by a reversal in energy prices.
The energy index fell 5.7 percent during June after increasing in each of the previous four months. Gasoline prices declined 9.7 percent, fuel oil fell 9.2 percent and electricity decreased 1.0 percent. Natural-gas service prices moved in the opposite direction, increasing 0.5 percent.
The sharp monthly energy decline did not erase the preceding year's increases. Energy prices were still 15.7 percent higher than in June 2025, including a 26.7 percent year-over-year increase in gasoline and a 42.9 percent rise in fuel oil.
Prices excluding food and energy were unchanged during June after rising 0.2 percent in May. Over the year, this core measure increased 2.6 percent, down from 2.9 percent in the 12 months through May. Shelter costs rose 0.1 percent, their smallest monthly increase since January 2021.
Food prices rose 0.2 percent in June and 3.0 percent over the year. Both groceries and food away from home increased 0.2 percent during the month. Grocery prices were 2.7 percent higher than a year earlier, while food away from home was up 3.4 percent.
The overall CPI remained 3.5 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a 4.2 percent annual increase in May. A negative monthly reading means the measured price level declined from May after seasonal adjustment, but it does not mean prices were lower than a year earlier across the full consumer basket. BLS is scheduled to release the July CPI on August 12.