The annual growth rate of the United States Core Producer Price Index (Core PPI) edged down in March 2026, offering a tentative sign of moderating underlying inflation pressures at the wholesale level. Year-over-year, Core PPI slowed to 3.8% in March, compared with 3.9% in February 2026.
Core PPI, which excludes volatile food and energy components, is closely watched as a gauge of pipeline inflation that can eventually feed into consumer prices. The March reading, updated on 14 April 2026, reflects a comparison of price changes in March 2026 versus March 2025, while the previous 3.9% figure for February was measured against February 2025.
Although the decline is marginal, the move suggests that producer-level inflation is not reaccelerating and may support expectations that broader price pressures could gradually ease. Market participants and policymakers will be monitoring upcoming data to gauge whether this downtrend in core producer inflation becomes more firmly established in the coming months.
