Education & communication · BLS CPI-U · 1997–2026
Day care & preschool Inflation — U.S. Consumer Price Index
As of June 2026, the CPI-U index for Day care and preschool is up 3.5% from a year earlier. Childcare and preschool prices.
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). pumsdata is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by BLS.
Day care & preschool: year-over-year inflation, 1998–2026
Percent change from the same month a year earlier, from the not-seasonally-adjusted CPI-U index.
October 2025 is missing from every CPI series — the federal government shutdown halted collection and the month was never published. Charts show a gap, and year-over-year and month-over-month figures skip any comparison touching the missing month; values are never interpolated.
Day care & preschool: annual averages
BLS annual-average index (the CPI file’s M13 rows, shown verbatim) and the year-over-year change in that average — the standard “annual inflation” figure.
| Year | Annual avg. index | Annual inflation |
|---|---|---|
| 2025* | 386.4 | +5.1% |
| 2024 | 367.6 | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 348.9 | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 330.3 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | 317.7 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 311.9 | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 303.3 | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 295.0 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 290.4 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 283.1 | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 275.4 | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 264.9 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 259.4 | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 253.1 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 247.1 | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 240.4 | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 232.8 | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 224.6 | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 214.9 | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 206.0 | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 195.4 | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 187.1 | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 180.3 | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 172.5 | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 164.1 | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 156.3 | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 148.1 | +5.1% |
| 1998 | 140.9 | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 134.3 | — |
*The 2025 annual average reflects the eleven published months — October 2025 was never collected because of the federal government shutdown.
Day care & preschool inflation — FAQ
What is the current Day care & preschool inflation rate?+
As of June 2026, the CPI-U index for Day care and preschool is up 3.5% from a year earlier (not seasonally adjusted). Month over month, the seasonally adjusted index moved +0.4% in June 2026.
When was Day care & preschool inflation highest since 1997?+
By annual averages, the biggest increase since 1997 came in 2023, when the Day care and preschool index rose 5.6% over 2022.
Is Day care & preschool inflation higher than overall inflation?+
As of June 2026, the Day care and preschool index is up 3.5% year over year, versus up 3.5% for overall inflation (all items CPI-U). That is about the same pace as overall inflation (all items CPI-U).
Why is October 2025 missing from the Day care & preschool data?+
October 2025 is missing from every CPI series — the federal government shutdown halted collection and the month was never published. Charts show a gap, and year-over-year and month-over-month figures skip any comparison touching the missing month; values are never interpolated.
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). pumsdata is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by BLS.