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Quick Guide: Some Popular BEA Price Indexes

Quick Guide: Some Popular BEA Price Indexes  Print/Download
  Measures prices for final goods and services that are:  
  Bought by
consumers		 Bought by
businesses &
governments		 Produced
in U.S.		 Imported
to U.S.		 Exported
from U.S.		  
PCE Price Index Personal Consumpton Expenditures Price Index Check Icon Cross Icon Check Icon Check Icon Cross Icon
  • Closely watched by the Federal Reserve
  • Similar to the BLS Consumer Price Index; the formulas and uses differ
  • Captures consumers' changing behavior and a wide range of expenses
Core PCE Price Index PCE Price Index, Excluding Food and Energy Check Icon Cross Icon Check Icon Check Icon Cross Icon
  • Closely watched by the Federal Reserve
  • Excludes two categories prone to volatile prices that may distort overall trends
Gross Domestic Purchases Price Index Check Icon Check Icon Check Icon Check Icon Cross Icon
  • BEA's featured measure of inflation in the U.S. economy overall
GDP Price Index Gross Domestic Product Price Index Check Icon Check Icon Check Icon Cross Icon Check Icon
  • Measures only U.S.-produced goods and services
GDP Price Deflator Gross Domestic Product Implicit Price Deflator Check Icon Check Icon Check Icon Cross Icon Check Icon
  • Closely mirrors the GDP price index, although calculated differently
  • Used by some firms to adjust payments in contracts
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