UK CPI monthly rate
UK CPI monthly rate stood at 0.5% in Aug 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Consumer price inflation table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Feb 1988 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Consumer price inflation table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Prices Index (CPI) | |||||||||||
| CPI monthly rate | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | -0.5 | 0.4 | -0.2 | |
| CPI annual rate | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3 | 3 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
Understanding UK CPI monthly rate
The monthly percentage change in the Consumer Prices Index captures short-term price movements across the United Kingdom by comparing the aggregate retail basket between the current month and the immediately preceding month. This high-frequency gauge isolates very recent cost adjustments across retail goods and services, offering immediate visibility on turning points in macroeconomic pricing pressure before annual base effects filter through.
Interpreting this series requires extreme caution regarding strong seasonal patterns, such as post-Christmas discounting in retail sectors or annual university fee adjustments, which can cause sharp volatility unrepresentative of underlying trends. Early estimates are seldom revised, but sequential figures should never be annualised mechanically, as doing so amplifies normal month-to-month noise and temporary shocks.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a negative monthly rate indicate?
- A negative rate shows that the average price level across the United Kingdom fell compared with the previous month.
- Why can this monthly figure be volatile?
- Sector-specific discounting events, seasonal holiday pricing, and regular start-of-year price resets create sharp fluctuations month-to-month.
- Should monthly rates be annualised for comparison with the annual rate?
- No, compounding monthly rates creates misleading projections because it assumes temporary shocks persist for an entire year.