The all-items excluding gasoline index rose 1.5% year over year in December, matching the increase in November.

Prices were up in seven of the eight major CPI components in the 12 months to December, with the transportation and shelter indexes contributing the most to the increase. The household operations, furnishings and equipment index declined 0.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Consumer prices for transportation rose 4.9% on a year-over-year basis in December, following a 5.9% increase in November. The movement in transportation prices was led by gasoline, which rose 12.2% year over year in December, after increasing 19.6% the previous month. The purchase of passenger vehicles index increased 3.7% in the 12-month period ending in December.

The shelter index grew 1.4% on a year-over-year basis in December, after increasing 1.2% in November. The natural gas index contributed to the gain in this major component, up 6.2% in December following a 3.1% increase in November.