The Consumer Price Index rose by 1.2% in December compared with December 2012, following a 0.9% increase in November.
The CPI for goods increased by 1.1% in the 12 months to December while the CPI for services was up 1.5% over the same period.
Gasoline prices increased 4.7% from December 2012, after gaining 0.4% in November. Overall, energy prices grew 4.6% between December 2012 and December 2013,
following a 2.3% increase in November. Excluding energy, the Consumer Price Index rose 1.0% in December, after growing by 0.8% in November.
Food prices rose 1.0% in the 12 months to December, following a 1.1% increase in November. The cost of food purchased from stores in the 12 months to November rose 0.8%. Prices for food purchased from restaurants advanced 1.4% on a year-over-year basis , after growing 1.2% in November.
Costs associated with shelter rose 1.9% in December over December 2012, after
increasing 1.8% in November. Consumers paid 4.1% more for electricity and 1.6% more in rent. In contrast, mortgage interest costs declined by 1.3% in the 12 months to December after falling 2.1% in the previous month.
Consumers paid 1.3% more for household operations, furnishings and equipment in December compared to December 2012 up from the annualized gain of 1.8% recorded in November.
Transportation prices gained 2.1% in the 12 months to December 2013, following a 0.5% increase in November. Consumers paid more for gasoline in the 12 months to December. They also paid 1.4% more for the purchase of passenger vehicles, after paying 0.4% more in November.
In the 12 months to December 2013, consumer prices rose in nine provinces. The CPI grew the most in Prince Edward Island over December 2012, (+3.0%) followed by Newfoundland and Labrador (+2.5%). The CPI in British Columbia was unchanged from December 2012. The CPI in Ontario was up 1.5% and in Quebec it increased 0.8% over December 2012.