Arabic version: تضخم أغسطس يستقر عند 3.4% مع ارتفاع تكاليف الطاقة
According to Cnbc, the consumer price index rose 3.4% annually in August 2026, unchanged from July, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The reading remained well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual inflation target, which inflation has exceeded for more than five years.
Economists said the Iran war has raised global oil prices by restricting energy flows through key Middle East trade corridors. Oil prices moved above $100 per barrel during the week as hostilities flared. Gasoline prices rose nearly 4% in August and more than 27% from August 2025, while averaging about $4.30 a gallon on Friday, AAA data showed.
Gasoline accounted for more than a third of the monthly CPI increase in August. Diesel reached a record $6 per gallon on Friday, raising concern about costs for hauling, trucking and farming equipment that may eventually feed into prices for food and other goods. Airfare rose nearly 3% during August and more than 23% from a year earlier as jet-fuel costs increased.
Some economists said the inflation report makes a Federal Reserve rate increase at its policy meeting next week more likely. Thomas Ryan, a North America economist at Capital Economics, said inflation risks appear skewed to the upside and that a return to the 2% target does not look likely in the next six months or soon after.
Economists also cited artificial intelligence data-center construction and tariffs as additional inflation pressures. Demand for computer chips used in AI data centers has increased scarcity for manufacturers of consumer electronics, including laptops, game consoles and newer cars. Apple announced higher MacBook and iPad prices in June, while Microsoft said it would raise Xbox console prices.
