US 16% Trimmed-Mean CPI
US 16% Trimmed-Mean CPI stood at 3.5% in Sep 2026, according to Cleveland FED; Atlanta FED; San Francisco FED; BLS. It is one of the indicators in the Alternative inflation measures table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1983 to Sep 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Alternative inflation measures table
| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-month change, annualized | |||||||||||
| 16% trimmed-mean CPI | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 3.6 | |
| Core CPI (ex food and energy) | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.6 | -0.2 | 2.5 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
Understanding US 16% Trimmed-Mean CPI
United States 16% Trimmed-Mean CPI measures underlying inflation by discarding the most extreme price increases and decreases across consumer expenditure categories at both tails of the distribution. This approach trims a fixed percentage of the highest and lowest monthly price changes, preventing outlier sectors from disproportionately driving the aggregate rate while retaining a broader basket of goods than exclusion-based measures.
To read this metric effectively, analysts examine its twelve-month trajectory alongside shorter-term movements to understand sustained price trends without the distraction of transitory supply shocks. Regular seasonal adjustments are applied to the data, making year-on-year comparisons the most reliable benchmark for evaluating core inflationary momentum.