18.03.202612:30:00UTC+00U.S. Core PPI Inflation Ticks Up to 3.9% in February, Extending Upward Trend

Core Producer Price Index (PPI) inflation in the United States accelerated in February 2026, with the year-over-year rate rising to 3.9%, up from 3.6% in January 2026. The data, updated on 18 March 2026, show that underlying producer price pressures continued to firm at the start of the year.

The figures compare price changes in February 2026 with those in February a year earlier, while the prior reading reflects January 2026 against January a year before. The uptick from 3.6% to 3.9% on this year-over-year basis signals a further build-up in core wholesale price pressures, which strip out more volatile components and are closely watched as an indicator of broader inflation trends.

With core PPI moving higher for a second consecutive month, markets and policymakers are likely to scrutinize whether the pickup in producer-level inflation feeds through to consumer prices in the months ahead, potentially influencing expectations around the future path of U.S. monetary policy.