US inflation rose in September as the cost of petrol and rents surged, suggesting a steady build-up of inflation pressures that could keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates in December.
The US Labour Department said its Consumer Price Index increased 0.3% last month after rising 0.2% in August.
In 12 months to September, the CPI accelerated 1.5%, the biggest year-on-year increase since October 2014.
The CPI increased 1.1% in the year to August. Economists had forecast the CPI rising 0.3% last month and jumping 1.5% from a year ago.
But underlying inflation showed signs of moderating amid a slowdown in the pace of increases in healthcare costs after recent robust gains.
The government revised prices for prescription drugs from May through August this year as incorrect data had been used to calculate price changes.
The so-called core CPI, which strips out food and energy costs, gained 0.1% last month after climbing 0.3% in August.
That slowed the year-on-year increase in the core CPI to 2.2% following a 2.3% rise in August.
The retreat in the monthly core CPI reading will probably do little to change the view that the Fed will raise interest rates at its December meeting.
