U.S. headline inflation rose by 0.3% MoM in December 2025, unchanged from September 2025 and in line with market expectations. The increase was driven by higher shelter costs, which rose by 0.4%, while the food price index increased by 0.7% and energy prices advanced by 0.3%. Additional upward pressures came from recreation, airline fares, health care, apparel, personal care, and education. Meanwhile, core inflation, which excludes food and energy, stood at 0.2% MoM in December 2025, unchanged from September 2025 (Figure 1). It should be noted that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) did not collect survey data for October 2025 due to the government shutdown, resulting in the absence of CPI data for October and monthly inflation data for November 2025.