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 March 2016 data shows the Midwest inflation rate increased from February to March in urban metros and in non-metro areas.
The Producer Price Index data shows that prices in the United States have increased from March 2015 to March 2016 for aircraft (0.7 percent). During that same time period, the index decreased crude petroleum (-25.8 percent), natural gas (-39.8 percent), slaughter livestock (-9.8 percent), sorghum (-32.4 percent) and wheat (-17.9 percent).
