Producer Price Index (PPI) — Historical Chart
PPIACOThe Producer Price Index tracks wholesale input costs. Rising PPI often flows through to CPI with a lag of 3–6 months, making it a leading indicator of future consumer inflation.
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SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE ECONOMIC DATA (FRED) · 0 OBSERVATIONS
The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures price changes at the wholesale/producer level — before goods reach consumers. Because producers eventually pass cost increases to consumers, PPI is a leading indicator of future CPI. Rising PPI often signals upcoming consumer inflation 1-3 months ahead.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Producer Price Index?
- The PPI measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output. Published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it covers goods sold to other businesses (wholesale) rather than to consumers (retail).
- How does PPI predict future CPI?
- When producers face higher input costs (raw materials, energy, labor), they eventually pass those costs through their supply chain to retailers and ultimately consumers. PPI is therefore a leading indicator of CPI by approximately 1-3 months.
- What is the difference between PPI final demand and PPI intermediate?
- PPI Final Demand measures prices for goods and services sold to end users. PPI Intermediate Processing measures prices at earlier stages in the production chain. PPI Intermediate is an even earlier leading indicator since it captures costs before they reach final demand.
- What does a falling PPI mean for inflation?
- Declining PPI signals easing pipeline inflation pressure. When commodity prices and energy fall, PPI typically leads CPI lower by 1-3 months — giving investors advance warning that headline inflation may soon decelerate.
Economic data sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). Data is updated according to the release schedule of the issuing agency. Provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.