Statistics Canada says annual pace of inflation climbs to 2.2%

The annual pace of inflation heated up in November as gasoline prices posted their first year-over-year increase since October 2018, Statistics Canada said...

The agency said the consumer price index rose 2.2 per cent compared with a year ago to end a three-month streak where the annual pace of inflation had held steady at 1.9 per cent...

The increase in the pace of inflation compared with October came as energy prices in November posted their first year-over-year increase since April. Energy prices climbed 1.5 per cent compared with a year ago compared with a decline of 2.9 per cent in October.

Gasoline prices were up 0.9 per cent year-over-year compared with a drop 6.7 per cent in October.

Canadians also saw the price for meat rise 5.2 per cent compared with a year ago, the fifth month of increases at or above 4.0 per cent. The cost of fresh or frozen beef was up 6.2 per cent, while ham and bacon prices rose 9.1 per cent. Fresh or frozen pork was up 0.7 per cent...

Excluding gasoline, the consumer price index was up 2.3 per cent compared with a year ago...

This was excertped from 18 December 2019 edition of The Canadian Press.