The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is used to measure changes in prices over time of consumer goods and services that households purchase. The CPI examines the average price of items in a consumer basket, including goods and services like medical care and transportation. Changes in the CPI are important for countries to assess cost of living and develop economic policies, and the index is used to adjust payments like wages and pensions for inflation. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics computes two main CPI statistics to track price changes for urban consumers.