Why were prices rising in Jul 2026?

As of July 2026, the Basket Index for a US family of 4 sits at 137.3 — meaning the cost of a standard household basket has risen 5.2% versus a year ago and is down 0.25% from the previous month.

Most of the move comes from gasoline (regular unleaded), rent of primary residence, electricity (residential) and ground beef (100% beef). Together these items account for roughly 76% of the year-over-year basket cost change.

Offsetting the increases: eggs (grade a, large) (-42.0%), chicken (whole, fresh) (-3.9%), bread (white loaf) (-2.4%) are cheaper than a year ago.

Inflation is rarely caused by one thing. Energy prices feed into food production and shipping; rent moves with housing supply and interest rates; and grocery prices respond to supply shocks, weather, and demand patterns. Basket Index does not claim causality — it tracks the prices households actually face, and lets you see which categories are pulling the basket up.

• Gasoline (Regular Unleaded): +25.8% YoY, ~55% of basket move.
• Rent of Primary Residence: +3.1% YoY, ~10% of basket move.
• Electricity (Residential): +3.7% YoY, ~6% of basket move.