US inflation rate down to 3% in June, a two-year low, but prices remain high

Increase was the smallest since March 2021 and down from a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022

The rising cost of US goods and services slowed to a two-year low in June, a sign that inflation is continuing to ease as the economy responds to the US Federal Reserve's rapid increases in interest rates.

The latest consumer price index (CPI) figures, which measure the prices of a basket of goods and services, increased 3% over the last year. This was the smallest increase since March 2021 and down from a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022 as pandemic supply chain issues clashed with burgeoning consumer demand.