Listen again · In Conversation
Why US inflation rose in September October 15, 2026 · 3:45 · With Maya and Omar
We explain news and stories in clear English to help us understand the world. Today, we look at what a new US inflation report says about prices, and why gasoline mattered.
Transcript Tap a sentence to hear it from there.
Maya Welcome to Slow English FM. I’m Maya, and this is Economy and Work. We explain news and stories in clear English to help us understand the world. Today, we look at what a new US inflation report says about prices, and why gasoline mattered. Maya Omar, the report puts annual inflation at 3.7% in September, up from 3.4% in August. What does that change mean for people paying for everyday goods and services? Omar The BBC reports that prices overall were rising faster than a month earlier. But 3.7% does not mean every price rose by that amount. It is the average rise across consumer prices over a year. And even when the rate falls, prices do not necessarily fall. They may simply keep rising more slowly. Maya So a lower inflation rate would not, by itself, mean that shopping had become cheaper. What drove the rise in this report? Omar Gasoline was the main factor highlighted by the BBC. It reports that car fuel prices rose 9.1% in September and were 34.2% higher than a year earlier. The BBC says the September fuel-price rise accounted for more than half of the monthly increase in inflation, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US government agency that publishes these price figures. Maya More than half of the monthly increase came from fuel, according to that report. Does that tell us that prices for other things were falling? Omar No. It tells us that gasoline made a large contribution to the overall increase that month. It does not mean other prices fell. The BBC describes higher gasoline prices as linked to disruption to Middle East energy supplies amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran. That is the BBC’s explanation for the fuel-price rise. Maya How should listeners put 3.7% in a wider frame? Omar The BBC says US inflation reached about 9% during the Covid pandemic period, well above the September figure. That comparison helps show that the current rate is lower than that earlier peak. But it does not undo price increases that have already happened. A slower rise can still mean households are paying more than before. Maya The Guardian describes this as the final inflation report before the midterm elections. What does that timing tell us, and what does it not tell us? Omar It means the figures were released before voters went to the polls, as the Guardian reports. Inflation can be an important issue in an election because it concerns the prices people face. But the report alone does not show how voters will respond, or what will happen in the election. Maya So the main point is that inflation rose to 3.7%, with gasoline responsible for a large part of the monthly increase. And that rate measures how quickly prices are rising, not whether prices are falling. Omar, thank you. Omar Thank you, Maya. Maya You’re listening to Slow English FM. Thanks for joining us. Stay with the station for more news and stories in clear English.
