Skip to content

Statistics Canada says annual inflation rate climbs to 1% in January

The reading compared with a year-over-year increase of 0.7 per cent in December
24256342_web1_20210217070248-602d112b2ad6369730634fa6jpeg
People wear face masks as they wait to enter a store in a shopping mall in Montreal, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Statistics Canada says the consumer price index rose 1.0 per cent compared with a year ago as the annual pace of inflation picked up.

The reading compared with a year-over-year increase of 0.7 per cent in December.

Economists on average had expected a year-over-year increase of 0.9 per cent for January, according to financial data firm Refinitiv.

Fuelling the increase in January was rising gasoline prices that Statistics Canada says increased 6.1 per cent compared with December.

Still, gasoline prices were 3.3 per cent below where they were in January 2020 when the first hints of demand uncertainty hit global markets as COVID-19 began to spread.

Statistics Canada says that excluding gasoline prices, the consumer price index in January was up 1.3 per cent compared with a year ago.

The Canadian Press

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Want to support local journalism? Make a donation here.