The Consumer Price Index is used to calculate inflation, or the change in price of a basket of goods and services, as it impacts consumers; whereas, the Producer Price Index measures changes in selling prices, thereby expressing price changes from the perspective of the seller who produces a particular commodity.
A slide presentation updated with February 2016 data shows the Midwest inflation rate decreased from January to February in urban metros and in non-metro areas.
The Producer Price Index data shows that prices in the United States have increased from February 2015 to February 2016 for aircraft (0.2 percent). During that same time period, the index decreased crude petroleum (-49.4 percent), natural gas (-21.4 percent), slaughter livestock (-12.1 percent), sorghum (-23.6 percent) and wheat (-23.9 percent).
