Canada’s Consumer Price Index rose 3.1% from a year earlier in September, up from 3.0% in August, Statistics Canada reported October 19. Gasoline was the main contributor to the acceleration: its annual increase widened to 27.8%, compared with 22.8% the previous month.

The picture was different when gasoline was excluded. That measure increased 2.2% year over year, slowing from 2.4% in August. The contrast shows why the headline rate and the movement in an individual household’s expenses can differ substantially.

Grocery prices rose 1.7% from September 2025, compared with 2.8% annual growth in August. Slower inflation means prices are increasing less quickly, not that the overall grocery bill has returned to earlier levels. Statistics Canada reports that grocery prices remained 33.0% above September 2020.

Shelter costs increased 1.8% year over year, while transportation rose 8.4%. The overall index increased 0.1% from August before seasonal adjustment and 0.4% after adjustment. Those monthly measures should not be confused with the annual inflation rate.