Consumer prices rose by the largest rate in five years in 2005, reflecting a surge in energy costs, although other prices remained well-behaved.
The Labor Department reported that its Consumer Price Index was up 3.4 percent for the 12 months ending in December, the biggest jump since a similar 3.4 percent rise in 2000, another year when energy prices were soaring. But outside of the volatile sectors of food and energy, core inflation posted a 2.2 percent rise for all of 2005, unchanged from the 2004 gain.
