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This statistic shows the 12-month percentage of change in the consumer price index for urban consumers in the United States, by selected expenditure categories from April 2011 to April 2012. The data represents city averages in the United States. The defined base period is: 1982-84=100. CPI is defined by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics as "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services". It is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors’ and dentists’ services, drugs, and other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. In April 2012, prices of all types of gasoline went up by 3.2 percent compared to April 2011. On the other hand, prices for personal computers and peripheral equipment dropped by 12 percent.