CPIx · Consumer Pressure Index · updated daily
One number for how stretched the consumer is.
A proprietary Briefed index, not the ONS Consumer Price Index. CPIx is a consumer stress index: it scores the financial pressure on households 0 to 100 from two equal layers, a macro anchor of published economic series and a real-time behavioural layer tracking what households are actually doing before official data catches up. Calculated separately for the UK and US, updated daily with weekly history back to 2008.
The current reading
The reading, in words
As of 2026-06-22, CPIx UK stands at 57.1 out of 100 (Rising pressure), up 1.7 points on the previous week.
As of 2026-07-13, CPIx US stands at 69.5 out of 100 (Elevated stress), down 0.2 points on the previous week.
Citing CPIx. Journalists and researchers may quote these figures freely with attribution to Briefed CPIx. Suggested form: “Briefed’s CPIx [UK or US] consumer pressure index, [score] as of [date] (briefedmedia.com/cpix).” Commercial licensing or API access: sales@briefedmedia.com.
The long view
Every consumer shock since the financial crisis.
CPIx reconstructed week by week through the 2008 financial crisis, the 2011 squeeze, the COVID shock, and the 2022 cost-of-living peak. The 2008 crisis remains the highest reading on record for both markets. Dashed lines mark the Rising and Elevated thresholds; the open circle marks the all-time high.
United Kingdom, since 2008
United States, since 2002
Long-run history shown at monthly resolution. Pre-2020 readings are reconstructed from the published source series; the live index updates daily.
How to read it
Three states, calibrated to each market.
Cutoffs are set from each market's own distribution, so they differ. In the US, Rising begins at 53 and Elevated at 58; in the UK, Rising at 56 and Elevated at 62.
Stable
Consumer pressure is near trend, with no broad deterioration.
Rising pressure
Pressure is building across enough signals to warrant attention.
Elevated stress
Stress is materially above trend across multiple categories.
Professional use
The headline is free. The depth is on the desk.
The current readings and the long-run history on this page are free, and journalists can quote CPIx with attribution to Briefed, no licence required. Sector breakdowns, weekly signal alerts, component-level drivers, and API access sit inside Briefed Research and Intelligence, the version most desks subscribe to.
Commercial use or API access: sales@briefedmedia.com.