Consumer prices increased by 6.8% on a year-over-year (YOY) basis in November, marking the largest YOY gain in nearly 40 years, according to the NAHB’s Eye on Housing blog. The NAHB says supply chain issues and consumer demand related to the pandemic have contributed to recent price increases.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.8% in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, following an increase of 0.9% in October. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core” CPI increased by 0.5% in November, after a 0.6% increase in October. In November, the price index for a broad set of energy sources increased by 3.5% in November, after a 4.8% increase in October. Gasoline (all type) rose by 6.1% in November, the same increase as in October. It marks its sixth consecutive monthly increase. The food index rose by 0.7% in November as the index for food at home increased by 0.8%.

During the past twelve months, on a not seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI rose by 6.8% in November, following a 6.2% increase in October. The “core” CPI increased by 4.9% over the past twelve months, following a 4.6% increase in October. The food index rose by 6.1% and the energy index rose by 33.3% over the past twelve months.

NAHB constructs a “real” rent index to indicate whether inflation in rents is faster or slower than overall inflation. It provides insight into the supply and demand conditions for rental housing. When inflation in rents is rising faster (slower) than overall inflation, the real rent index rises (declines). The real rent index is calculated by dividing the price index for rent by the core CPI (to exclude the volatile food and energy components).

The Real Rent Index decreased by 0.1% in November, after a decrease of 0.2% in October. Over the first eleven months of 2021, the monthly change of the Real Rent Index was -0.2%, on average.