U.S. inflation was higher than expected last month, a sign that rising prices that helped Democrats score big victories in last week’s midterm elections will continue to pose challenges for the White House and the Federal Reserve.
Video above: Inflation has increased family expenses by several hundred per month since January 2025.
The consumer price index rose 0.4% from September to October, the Labor Ministry said Tuesday, down from 0.6% the previous month. The government has not reported an annual inflation rate because the government shutdown last year meant no data was released for October 2025.
Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, underlying prices increased by 0.3%, as in the previous month. Both figures were a tenth of a point higher than expected.
Calculate how inflation has changed your grocery costs
The Get the Facts Data team created a calculator that estimates the average cost of certain groceries and compares it with the previous month’s price. These costs are based on the national average and items are calculated per pound, gallon, ounce, liter or dozen.
This calculator provides an estimate based on BLS inflation data and does not correspond to the actual total you paid for groceries.
US markets fell immediately after the inflation report was released and Treasury yields rose.
Data shows inflation remains significantly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and Americans’ struggles with high prices became evident when they ousted the Republican majority in the House and Senate last week. Yet with strong gains in both chambers, congressional Democrats will soon face the challenge of how to address voters’ affordability concerns. President Donald Trump has acknowledged voters’ anger over the war in Iran and gas prices, but has shown no signs of changing course yet.
The AP Voter Poll, a survey of 100,000 voters, found that about two-thirds blamed rising costs on Trump’s policies. About 9 in 10 people said cost of living was a “crucial” or “major” factor in their vote.
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