Consumer Price Index, April 2018
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
Released: 2018-05-18
April 2018
2.2%
(12-month change)
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.2% on a year-over-year basis in April, following a 2.3% increase in March.
12-month change in the components
Seven of eight major components increased on a year-over-year basis in April. The recreation, education and reading index (-0.2%) was the lone major component to decline year over year.
The price of services (+2.3%) increased more slowly on a year-over-year basis in April, after posting a 2.7% increase in March. This was largely a result of price decreases in travel services, which declined 6.0% year over year. A smaller year-over-year increase in the cost of air transportation (+11.9%) coincided with the price decrease in travel services.
Prices for non-durable goods (+2.7%) increased less in the 12 months to April than they did in March (+3.0%). Year-over-year gains in prices for gasoline in April (+14.2%) were less than those recorded in March (+17.1%).
Prices for semi-durable goods increased 2.3% in April, following an increase of 0.2% in March. This was the largest increase in semi-durable goods since March 2015, and was largely the result of a 2.5% year-over-year increase in the clothing index in April.
12-month change in the provinces
Prices rose less on a year-over-year basis in five provinces in April compared with the previous month.
At the national level, consumers paid 6.3% more for energy year over year in April. Gasoline prices were the largest contributor to the increase in energy prices in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador. This increase was partly attributable to temporary supply disruptions at oil refineries, as they transitioned to summer fuel blends. Electricity prices in Alberta grew 38.9% year over year in April, as higher market prices led to increases in residential electricity rates.
Seasonally adjusted monthly Consumer Price Index
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.1% in April, matching the increase in March. Five of eight major components increased, with the clothing and footwear index (+1.2%) rising the most. The recreation, education and reading index (-1.5%) registered the largest decline.
Note to readers
Upcoming changes to the table "Inter-city indexes of price differentials of consumer goods and services": Addition of two new geographic strata
Data on inter-city indexes of price differentials of consumer goods and services will be updated to October 2017 with the release of the June 2018 Consumer Price Index (CPI) (to be published on July 20, 2018). As well, the geographic strata "Whitehorse, Yukon" and "Yellowknife, Northwest Territories" will be introduced into the table, reflecting data for the all-items index and its eight major components and selected sub-groups.
Real-time CANSIM tables
Real-time CANSIM table 326-8023 will be updated on June 4. For more information, consult the document Real-time CANSIM tables.
Next release
The CPI for May will be released on June 22.
Products
The April 2018 issue of The Consumer Price Index, Vol. 97, no. 4 () is now available. 62-001-X
More information about the concepts and use of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is available in The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper (). 62-553-X
For information on the history of the CPI in Canada, consult the publication Exploring the First Century of Canada's Consumer Price Index (). 62-604-X
Two videos, "An Overview of Canada's Consumer Price Index (CPI)" and "The Consumer Price Index and Your Experience of Price Change," are available on Statistics Canada's YouTube channel.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
- Date modified: