The Consumer Price Index (CPI) consists of eight major components, each representing a different category of consumer spending. Each category is assigned a weight by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) based on its importance to the average consumer's spending habits. This chart shows the year-over-year percentage change for each component, revealing which categories are driving overall inflation at any given time. Housing (44.4%) is the largest component, followed by Transportation (16.8%), Food & Beverages (14.3%), Medical Care (8.0%), Recreation (5.4%), Education & Communication (5.8%), Apparel (2.6%), and Other Goods & Services (2.7%). Data sourced from FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).