The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.4% year-on-year in August 2026, unchanged from the revised 3.4% annual rate recorded in July 2026. The data, updated on 11 September 2026, show that inflation on a year-over-year basis has stabilized for a second consecutive month.
According to the comparison framework, the “actual” August figure reflects price changes versus August a year earlier, while the “previous” reading captures July’s change compared with July a year before. With both months registering an identical 3.4% annual increase, the data suggest that, at least on a headline basis, upward price pressures are neither accelerating nor easing materially as the third quarter progresses.
The flat year-on-year reading may sharpen focus on the underlying components of inflation and upcoming releases, as investors and policymakers gauge whether this plateau in headline CPI marks a pause before renewed movement or the early stages of a more sustained stabilization in U.S. consumer prices.
