Canada Inflation Rate and CPI
StatsCan releases CPI monthly; this page updates the same day
Inflation Data on This Page was Last Updated: May 19, 2026
Canada Inflation Rate Overview
Data for April 2026
| Yearly Inflation 2.8% |
Two Year Inflation 4.6% |
Three Year Inflation 7.4% |
Core CPI (BoC) 2.2% Inflation Rate |
Core (All excl. food + energy) 1.5% Inflation Rate |
| Food 3.5% Inflation Rate |
Shelter 1.8% Inflation Rate |
Household 0.4% Inflation Rate |
Clothing & Footwear 2.0% Inflation Rate |
Transportation 7.6% Inflation Rate |
| CPI Trim 2.0% Inflation Rate |
CPI Median 2.1% Inflation Rate |
Health 3.3% Inflation Rate |
Recreation 1.0% Inflation Rate |
Energy 19.2% Inflation Rate |
What’s Driving Inflation?
Here are the contributions of each CPI category to Canada’s April 2026 inflation rate.
| 12-Month Change (CPI) | Basket Weight (% of CPI) | Contribution to April 2026's Inflation Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 3.5% | x | 16.91% | 0.6% |
| Shelter | 1.8% | x | 29.41% | 0.5% |
| Household | 0.4% | x | 13.25% | 0.1% |
| Clothing & Footwear | 2.0% | x | 4.38% | 0.1% |
| Transport | 7.6% | x | 16.9% | 1.3% |
| Health | 3.3% | x | 5.05% | 0.2% |
| Recreation | 1.0% | x | 10.12% | 0.1% |
| Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis | 1.0% | x | 3.99% | 0.04% |
Current Canada Inflation Rate: 2.8%
Updated on May 19, 2026: Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 2.8% in April, up from 2.4% in March, driven mainly by another sharp increase in energy prices, especially gasoline. Monthly, CPI increased 0.4%, or 0.3% seasonally adjusted. Excluding gasoline, inflation slowed to 2.0% year over year, down from 2.2%, showing that April’s acceleration was overwhelmingly energy-led.
How Statistics Canada Calculates the CPI
Statistics Canada calculates the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by measuring how prices change over time for a fixed basket of goods and services that represents what Canadian households typically purchase.
Key steps
Build the basket
- Statistics Canada defines a basket of goods and services that reflects household consumption patterns.
Collect prices
- Prices are collected monthly from a wide range of retail outlets, service providers, and administrative data sources across Canada.
Compute price indexes
- At the lowest level, price movements are calculated using elementary price indexes, commonly based on geometric means of price relatives.
All-items CPI
- The All-items CPI is a weighted average of all component indexes and represents overall consumer price inflation for Canadian households.
Measures of Core Inflation
It is understood that inflation is often a monetary problem. It is also understood that high inflation harms the fabric of society. Thus, most modern economies have independent central banks tasked with controlling inflation. Central banks need to see the underlying trend of inflation.
Core (All Excluding Food and Energy) Inflation Rate Statistics (CPI)
Data for April 2026
| Data | Value |
|---|---|
| Core CPI | 156.7 |
| Monthly Change | 0.1% |
| Quarterly Change | 0.7% |
| Annual Change | 1.5% |
Historical Core (All Excluding Food and Energy) Inflation Rates
| Date | Rate |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | 2.37% |
| February 2026 | 1.96% |
| March 2026 | 1.89% |
| April 2026 | 1.49% |
Inflation's Impact on Taxes and Social Benefits in Canada
Inflation erodes the purchasing power of money, and in Canada, it affects taxes and government payments in two primary ways.
- Tax brackets and credits rise: CRA indexes federal/provincial tax brackets, basic personal amount, RRSP limit, TFSA limit, and credits (e.g., GST/HST) to CPI annually.
- Social payments increase: OAS, CPP benefits, GIS, Canada Child Benefit, and provincial assistance adjust quarterly/yearly with CPI to preserve real value.
Glossary
The following definitions explain common terms used on this page to help interpret Canada's inflation data.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
A measure of prices over time for a typical basket of goods and services purchased by Canadian households.
Headline CPI
The overall CPI that includes all categories, such as food, shelter, transportation, and energy. Its change is the most commonly cited inflation rate.
Inflation Rate
The percentage change in CPI over a given period, indicating how quickly prices are rising or falling.
Year‑over‑Year (YoY)
Compares prices in a given month to the same month one year earlier.
Month‑over‑Month (MoM)
Compares prices to the previous month.
Core Inflation
Measures of inflation that exclude volatile items (such as gasoline) to better reflect underlying price trends.
CPI Basket
The collection of goods and services used to calculate CPI, weighted based on how much households typically spend on each category.
Contribution to Inflation
Shows how much each category adds to or subtracts from the overall inflation rate.