UK Consumer Stress Index
How stretched the UK consumer is, in one number.
CPIx UK is a 0–100 composite of six published series: wages versus inflation, consumer credit, labour market conditions, retail demand, household savings, and energy costs. Refreshed every 30 minutes against the underlying data.
CPIx · UK · data through 18 May 2026
60.5
Pressure is building across enough signals to warrant attention.
Classification
Rising pressure
Month-over-month
+1.4 (+2.4%)
Previous month
59.1
Recent readings
Month-on-month
movement.
CPIx UK readings
| Period | Score | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Current | 60.5 | rising pressure |
| Previous month | 59.1 | ▲ +1.4 |
Full 30-day trend charts and sector breakdowns are available to Briefed Intelligence subscribers.
Explore Briefed Intelligence →Also available
CPIx US.
Same methodology, US sources. CPIx US is built around BLS labour data, Fed credit and savings releases, and US retail and energy series. The headline read for the American household balance sheet.
View CPIx US →About CPIx UK
Frequently
asked.
What does CPIx UK measure?
CPIx UK is a composite index tracking consumer financial stress across the UK economy. It draws on a basket of published economic series covering wages and inflation, consumer credit, labour market conditions, retail demand, household savings, and energy costs. Each input is normalised and weighted to produce a single score between 0 and 100. A score below 55 is Stable; 55 or above is Rising Pressure; 66 or above is Elevated Stress.
Is CPIx the same as the UK Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
No. CPIx is a proprietary composite index developed by Briefed and is entirely distinct from the ONS Consumer Price Index (CPI) or CPIH. While CPI measures price inflation across a basket of goods and services, CPIx measures consumer financial stress — how stretched UK households are across six dimensions: wages vs. inflation, consumer credit, labour market conditions, retail demand, household savings, and energy costs.
How often does CPIx UK update?
The CPIx score is recomputed as underlying source data refreshes. The current reading shown reflects the latest available data as of the timestamp on the index.
Is there a US version?
Yes. CPIx is published for both the UK and US using the same methodology. The US Consumer Stress Index is available at briefedmedia.com/cpix/us.
How can I use CPIx data?
Journalistic use with attribution to Briefed is welcome. Commercial licensing, sector breakdowns, signal alerts, and API access are available to Briefed Intelligence subscribers. Contact sales@briefedmedia.com for licensing enquiries.