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Key Takeaways
- Inflation has been elevated for the past five years, and while housing and groceries are big factors contributing to price pressures, other categories also saw significant price increases in 2025.
- Electricity prices rose in 2025 as demand from AI data centers climbed. Jewelry prices also rose last year, as gold and silver prices surged.
- Health care costs were one of the leading drivers of inflation, while financial services prices also accelerated this year as fees and commissions skyrocketed.
Inflation has been a persistent problem for the U.S. economy over the past five years, primarily due to rising prices for groceries and housing.
However, inflation has driven up costs in several other categories that you may not realize.
According to two different government measurements of prices, inflation in these sectors is still having an impact on the U.S. economy:
Electricity and Utilities
Electricity was up 6.9% year-over-year in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November.
It’s one of a handful of energy products and services that have increased this year, with utility gas services, fuel oils and other motor fuels all growing faster than the overall annual inflation rate of 2.7%.
Data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI) services could be one contributing factor for the rising prices, as energy usage by these warehouse-sized facilities has surged.
Why This Matters to You
Persistent price increases in everyday services like utilities, health care, and insurance can quietly erode household budgets and reduce consumers’ ability to save or invest, which puts a financial strain on the economy.
Furniture and Household Items
Furniture prices are rising faster than the inflation rate, with November’s CPI showing that living room, kitchen and dining room furniture costs were up by 4.6%.
Prices for indoor plants and flowers rose at an even faster rate, while cookware and tableware prices were up by 6.3% in November. The cost of tools has increased by 5.6%, with tariffs contributing to that rise. And while prices for televisions were lower in November’s CPI report, prices for audio equipment increased by more than 10%. Even musical instruments saw prices rise faster than inflation.
Tariffs may also be pushing up furniture prices; however, the White House last week said it would delay an increase in tariffs on imported furniture as negotiations with trading partners continued.
Jewelry and Outerwear
Prices for jewelry were higher by 8.3% in the November CPI report. While tariffs may be affecting jewelry prices, the recent surge in gold and silver prices is pushing up costs.
Meanwhile, men’s and women’s apparel prices were lower across the board, but prices for women’s outerwear were up by 7.4%. Apparel is one area where economists expected to see prices rise due to the imposition of tariffs. Critics of U.S. tariffs have argued that women’s apparel is disproportionately affected by import taxes, leading to a “pink tariff.”
Health and Dental Services
While health care services generally rose at the same rate as inflation, some segments saw prices rise faster.
The CPI tracked a sharp increase in prices for hospital services, which rose 6% in November. According to the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index, dental services costs are up 4% in the 2025 third quarter, and the costs for nursing homes were up by nearly the same amount. The cost of caring for the elderly at home was even more expensive, increasing by more than 10%.
Financial Services and Insurance
The cost of financial services surged in 2025, with prices accelerating in the second half of the year. According to the PCE, prices for financial services and insurance were up by 5.6% last year. Fees and commissions were one of the biggest drivers of financial services costs, rising by more than 8% in the third quarter of 2025. The CPI report also tracked a 7% increase in household insurance.
