‘Unsettling news’: What inflation’s uptick means for the Bank of Canada
Statistics Canada says the annual rate of inflation accelerated to 3.4 per cent in December, thanks to gas prices and still sticky price hikes at the grocery store.
That’s up from the November inflation rate of 3.1 per cent.
Economists had widely expected a temporary inflation spike, owed largely to a smaller drop in gasoline prices in December compared with a year ago. Gas prices have declined for the fourth consecutive month, StatCan says.
Prices at the grocery store rose 4.7 last month, StatCan says, the same pace seen in November.
Shelter inflation such as climbing rent and mortgage costs continued to drive the cost of living higher in December.
Canadians paid 31.1 per cent more for air transportation in December than in November as the holiday season pushed up demand for airfare, StatCan says. Cheaper prices on travel tours month-to-month helped moderate this pressure.
Higher costs for fuel oil and passenger vehicles were also contributing to inflation last month, the agency says.
With December marking the last month of the year, Statistics Canada says the annual average inflation rate for 2023 was 3.9 per cent, down from a 40-year high of 6.8 per cent in 2022.
Tuesday’s report comes about a week ahead of the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate decision set for Jan. 24. The central bank has held its policy rate steady at 5.0 per cent in the past three decisions, and has warned that rates might need to rise higher to fully bring inflation back to its two per cent target even as many forecasters start to pencil in rate cuts later this year.
While the uptick in headline inflation might have been expected, there were signs of acceleration in the central bank’s closely watched metrics of core inflation, too.
BMO chief
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