Here's the inflation breakdown for May 2026 — in one chart

A driver refuels a vehicle at a Shell gas station in Hercules, California, May 21, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Consumer prices in May rose at their fastest pace in more than three years as the Iran war continued to put upward pressure on gasoline and other energy-related costs. The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, increased to 4.2% last month relative to a year earlier — the highest annual inflation rate since April 2023 and an increase from 3.8% in April , …