NEW YORK (AP) — Consumer inflation rose more than expected in March, boosted by gas, rents, auto insurance and other items, the government said Wednesday. A look at some of the numbers. (Figures from the Bureau of Labor statistics, unless otherwise specified.)

3.8%

The increase in the so-called core inflation rate from March 2023 to March 2024. This measure strips out the more volatile energy and food prices.

22.2%

The rise in the price of car insurance from March a year ago. More expensive car repairs and an increase in disaster-related claims are among the reasons for the increase.

1.2%

Year-over-year rise in the cost of groceries. The increases have moderated from the spikes of 2022 and early 2023.

$5.42

Price for a pound of uncooked ground beef, up more than 20 cents from February.

$2.99

The average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs in March. While that’s down from $3.45 a year ago, it’s up from $2.05 in March 2022.

5.7%

The year-over-year increase in the cost of shelter, mostly housing. Shelter costs are heavily weighted in the month consumer price index.

-2.2%

The decline in the average price of used cars and trucks last month. Those prices soared early in the pandemic because of a shortage of parts needed to build new vehicles.

$3.58

The price in March for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline. That’s up 22 cents from February, but is still down about 73 cents from March 2022.

-7.1%

Air travel is one category seeing price declines. The cost of hotel rooms and car rentals have also fallen from a year ago.

5.5%

The rise in the cost of a funeral in March compared to a year ago. In December, the National Funeral Directors Association estimated the median price of a funeral with casket and burial rose from $7,850 to $8,300 from 2021 to 2023.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.