Prices of closely-watched goods and services didn't go up much in the first half of this year, which may further ease concerns about inflation.
The prices of all items tracked in the Consumer Price Index, the federal government's bellwether signal of inflation, rose 1.9% from January to June, coming slightly below the 2% increase seen over the same period last year.
But some goods and services stood out, especially in energy and transportation. Twenty of 26 core goods and services saw their prices rise, which isn't unusual since costs tend to go up in a growing economy.
The five biggest price increases were in gasoline, motor fuel, airlane fares, motor vehicle insurance and transportation services. Fuel oil, piped utility gas and fruits and vegetables were the biggest declines.
Gasoline prices usually peak around July, unless something shocks the global oil market, AAA told ConsumerAffairs in February.
Below, see ConsumerAffairs's chart ranking and grouping the most-followed goods and services from the CPI by their increases and decreases.
