UK inflation: Consumer Prices Index release dates

UK inflation fell to 3.6% in October, the first time price growth slowed since May.

While inflation looks to be starting to fall closer to the Bank of England’s target of 2%, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Forecasts expect inflation will continue on its downward path, reaching the target level in late 2026 or early 2027.

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The next Consumer Prices Index (CPI) report will be published on 17 December, covering the month of November.

Next UK inflation figures

In the UK, the main measure of inflation is CPI. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases this once a month. Each reading covers the previous month.

Remaining CPI release dates for 2025

• 17 December (covering November)
• 21 January 2026 (covering December)

CPI release dates for 2026CPI release dates for 2026

• 18 February (covering January)
• 25 March (covering February)
• 22 April (covering March)
• 20 May (covering April)
• 17 June (covering May)
• 22 July (covering June)
• 19 August (covering July)
• 16 September (covering August)
• 21 October (covering September)
• 18 November (covering October)
• 16 December (covering November)
• 20 January 2027 (covering December)

What time is CPI released in the UK? 

The ONS releases the latest CPI data at 7am once a month. You can access the data by going onto the ONS website and clicking on its release calendar. All published and upcoming releases are listed there. The report will be titled, “Consumer price inflation, UK”, followed by the month and year in question.

MoneyWeek regularly reports on the latest inflation data and what it means for you.

What is CPI and how is it calculated?

As introduced previously, CPI is the main measure of inflation used in the UK. It tells you how fast the cost of living is increasing (or decreasing).

It is calculated using a typical basket of household goods and services – from eggs, flour and milk to hotel costs, restaurants and air fryers – and tracking how their prices change.

The CPI basket of goods is adjusted once a year to reflect current trends in consumption. For example, VR headsets and yoga mats were added to the basket in 2025, while oven-ready gammon joints and DVD rentals were removed.

The Bank of England keeps a close eye on CPI when setting interest rates. If inflation is too high, the Bank raises interest rates to slow consumer spending and cool the economy.

This works in bringing prices down because households have less money to spend when mortgage rates are high and debts are more expensive to repay.

Meanwhile, if inflation is too low, the Bank may reduce interest rates so consumers have more disposable income to spend. Due to the laws of supply and demand, this pushes prices back up.