Economy
PCE and CPI are not two names for one index
The PCE price index is BEA’s chain-type index of prices paid for personal consumption. CPI is BLS’s index of prices paid by urban consumers. They have different owners, different baskets, and different formulas. This note is method only.
Explainer Reviewed 08-21-2026
What it is for
Stopping a sentence that says inflation was a single number without saying which index and which period. When the live tape says PCE prices moved +0.2% m/m; +3.7% y/y, that is BEA, July 2026. It is not a CPI reading.
What it cannot tell you
What CPI printed. A CPI figure requires the matching BLS release and period, so this guide does not supply one.
How to verify the object
PCE lives on BEA’s Personal Income and Outlays page and in the GDP accounts. CPI lives on BLS and requires its own matching release and period. Printable PCE on this site is July monthly or 2026:Q2 quarterly SAAR. A CPI figure stays off the page until its primary release is checked.
Education only. Not individualized advice.