Grocery prices up 2.8 per cent annually in June
The overall price of groceries was 2.8 per cent higher in June compared to the same month last year, according to data from Statistics Canada.
The overall price of groceries was 2.8 per cent higher in June compared to the same month last year, according to data from Statistics Canada.
The agency released its latest Consumer Price Index on Tuesday, which found that Canadians’ grocery bills have continued to rise annually.
The increase in prices last month was slower than in previous years, driven largely by the price of fresh vegetables, which fell by 3.1 per cent year over year in June after a 1 per cent increase in May.
The drop in price marked the first since October 2021 and was the result of reduced prices for onions (-10.3 per cent) and cucumbers (-18.3 per cent).
The CPI saw a total increase of 1.9 per cent annually last month, up from a 1.7 per cent increase in May.
“Year over year, the CPI excluding energy (+2.7 per cent) remained higher than the CPI in June, partly due to the removal of consumer carbon pricing in April,” reads the CPI report.
“On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.1 per cent in June. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the CPI was up 0.2 per cent.”
June also marked the second consecutive month that the cost of durable goods increased, following a jump in May.
This was led by an increase in passenger vehicles, which also rose in May.
Used passenger vehicle prices also saw a 1.7 per cent increase last month as tighter inventories accelerated their growth in cost, marking the first uptick in a year and a half.
Furniture prices also increased at a faster pace in June compared with May.
However, the cost of household appliances fell last month after increasing in May.
“Prices for clothing and footwear rose 2.0 per cent year over year in June after increasing 0.5 per cent in May,” it said.
“This acceleration was largely due to the women’s clothing index, which was unchanged in June following a 2.5 per cent decline in May. Uncertainty surrounding international trade put upward pressure on prices for clothing and footwear in June, as the industry faced higher costs in the wake of tariffs.”