The Consumer Price Index rose by 0.8% in April compared with April 2014, after increasing 1.2% in March.
The CPI in April for goods was down 0.7% from a year earlier while the CPI for services rose 2.0%.
Gasoline prices decreased 21.0% from April 2014, after falling 19.2% in March. Overall, energy prices fell 13.5% between April 2014 and April 2015, following a 10.4% annualized rate of decrease in March. Excluding energy, the annualized Consumer Price Index rose 2.2% in April, down from 2.3% in March.
Food prices rose 3.6% in the 12 months to April, after a 3.8% rate of annualized increase was posted in March. The cost of food purchased from stores in the 12 months to April grew by 4.0%, down from a 4.2% increase in March. Prices for meat (+11.2%) and fresh vegetables (+4.3%) contributed the most to the April increase. Prices for food purchased from restaurants advanced 2.7% on a year-over-year basis, down from the 2.8% annualized growth recorded in March.
Costs associated with shelter rose 0.5% in April over April 2014 after increasing 1.4% in March. This was the lowest annual increase since March 2010. The smaller increase in April, was due primarily to lower natural gas prices. In addition, the homeowners’ mortgage insurance index was down 0.9%.
Consumers paid 3.6% more for household operations, furnishings and equipment in April compared to April 2014, up from the 3.2% rate of increase recorded in March.
Transportation prices fell 4.2% in the 12 months to April 2015, following a 3.9% decrease in March as gasoline prices continued to decline. However, consumers paid 1.4% more on a year-over-year basis for the purchase of passenger vehicles, after an increase of 1.8% in March.
In the 12 months to April 2015, consumer prices rose in seven provinces. The CPI grew the most in Saskatchewan (+1.2%) , followed by Quebec (+1.1%). Ontario recorded a 0.8% annualized increase. The declines occurred in Prince Edward Island (-1.2%), Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.4%) and New Brunswick (-0.1%).