The consumer price index rose 0.3 percent in March, led by increases in gasoline and food, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
The energy, gasoline, and fuel oil indices all continued to rise in March, but slowed their climb from February’s gains. The natural gas index rose 0.9 percent after falling for five consecutive months. The electricity index fell by 0.8 percent, the largest drop since June 2011.
The food index rose 0.2 percent after staying flat in February. Meat, poultry, fish and eggs saw a rise of 0.8 percent, the largest in nearly a year.
Overall, the CPI is up 2.7 percent over the past 12 months.
The gasoline index is up 9 percent over that time, while the electricity index is up 0.6 percent and the natural gas index 9.1 percent.
