Primerica HBI falls to 98.3% in May as gas prices erode middle-income purchasing power
Complete. Here is the key summaryPrimerica's Household Budget Index dropped to 98.3% in May, reflecting weakened middle-income purchasing power due to rising gas prices and necessity costs. While earned income saw slight growth, it was insufficient to fully offset inflation, with the necessity-cost basket climbing 6.2% year-over-year.
- Primerica’s Household Budget Index fell to 98.3% in May, down 1.1% m/m, down 1.7% y/y, signaling weaker purchasing power. * Gas prices remained the main drag; May increase slowed to 8.6% m/m from 11% in April. * Earned income for middle-income Americans rose 0.2% m/m, up 2.5% y/y, partially offsetting higher necessities. * Headline CPI rose 4.2% y/y in May; the index’s necessity-cost basket climbed 6.2% y/y. Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Primerica Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief on June 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. © Copyright 2026 - Public Technologies (PUBT) Original Document: here