The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a schedule of monthly release dates for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and associated data on consumer inflation. The CPI measures changes in what American consumers pay for goods and services and ranges from everything from cars to fruits and vegetables.
By setting a release date and update time, everyone is able to get the latest inflation information at once, with no one receiving an advantage that could help them in the markets or elsewhere.
Looking at the release schedule below, which offers upcoming dates through December 2018, notice that the CPI information released on a given day always covers data from the previous month.
CPI Release Dates
| Release Date | Reference Month | Release Time |
|---|---|---|
| December 13, 2017 | November 2017 | 08:30 AM |
| January 12, 2018 | December 2017 | 08:30 AM |
| February 14, 2018 | January 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| March 13, 2018 | February 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| April 11, 2018 | March 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| May 10, 2018 | April 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| June 12, 2018 | May 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| July 12, 2018 | June 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| August 10, 2018 | July 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| September 13, 2018 | August 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| October 11, 2018 | September 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| November 14, 2018 | October 2018 | 08:30 AM |
| December 12, 2018 | November 2018 | 08:30 AM |