A customer shops at a farmers' market in Toronto, Canada, on Sept. 20, 2022. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)
According to Statistics Canada, in September, prices for food purchased from stores grew 11.4 percent, the fastest pace year over year since August 1981.
OTTAWA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 6.9 percent in September on a year-over-year basis, decelerating from 7 percent in August, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday.
Lower gasoline prices were mostly responsible for the deceleration, the national statistical agency said, adding that while prices at the gas pump dropped Canadians continued to feel the pinch from higher food prices.
According to the statistical agency, in September, prices for food purchased from stores grew 11.4 percent, the fastest pace year over year since August 1981. Prices for food purchased from stores have been increasing at a faster rate than the all-items CPI for 10 consecutive months, since December 2021.
Excluding food and energy, prices rose 5.4 percent year over year in September, following a gain of 5.3 percent in August. Prices for durable goods, such as furniture and passenger vehicles, grew at a faster pace in September compared with August, the statistical agency said.
On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.1 percent in September.
Average hourly wages rose 5.2 percent on a year-over-year basis in September, meaning that, on average, prices rose faster than wages. The gap in September was larger compared with August, Statistics Canada said. ■
