Statistics Canada launched its February shopper worth index report Tuesday, which exhibits worth progress softened for a second consecutive month.
Economists had been widely expecting Canada’s inflation rate to have risen above January’s 2.9%, partly as a consequence of greater gasoline costs.
The federal company says costs for wi-fi providers had been down 26.5% and web costs fell 13.2% from a yr in the past.
Costs for meals bought at shops in February had been up 2.4% from a yr in the past, marking the primary time costs grocery prices rose extra slowly than general inflation since October 2021.
Nonetheless, that’s little reduction to Canadians who proceed to pay considerably higher prices for meals than they did just a few years in the past. The federal company says grocery costs elevated 21.6% between February 2021 and February 2024.
In the meantime, housing prices proceed to place upward strain on inflation, with mortgage curiosity prices up 26.3% and rent up 8.2% yearly.
Nonetheless, Tuesday’s report presents excellent news to the Bank of Canada, which is in search of extra proof that inflation is sustainably headed again to the nation’s 2% goal earlier than it strikes to decrease rates of interest.
The central financial institution’s most popular core measures of inflation, which strip out volatility in costs, additionally fell final month.