US Consumer Inflation Spikes in January Due to Start-of-Year Price Increases

In January 2026, U.S. consumer inflation surprised many economists with a fresh uptick in prices. Data released on February 13, 2026, showed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rising again as companies reset prices for the new year.  Many everyday items, from groceries to rent, cost more than they did a month earlier. This pushed headline inflation higher even as some core price measures hovered near multi‑year lows.