Consumer prices for computer software and accessories rose roughly 14.5% year-over-year in May, the largest annual increase in data dating back to 2000.

Software and Chip Prices Hit Records

The figures were reported by The Kobeissi Letter, an account on X that tracks macroeconomic data, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May Consumer Price Index report, published Wednesday.

Overall, U.S. consumer prices rose 4.2% year-over-year in May, with energy costs up 23.5%, driven largely by the ongoing Iran War.

The producer prices for electronic components climbed 27% year-over-year, also a record.

The surge comes as hyperscalers, including Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) continue large-scale AI data center investments, widely reported throughout 2025 ...