OTTAWA – Canada’s annual inflation rate jumped 0.4 points to 3.1 per cent in August as consumers paid more for gasoline, food and many other items as well.
Statistics Canada says on a month-to-month basis, consumers paid 0.3 per cent more in August than in July.
The surprisingly strong jump reverses a recent trend to more moderate inflation, which had seen the rate fall from 3.7 during May to 2.7 in July.
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But purchasing gasoline was 22.8 per cent more expensive last month than in August 2010, and food cost 4.4 per cent more. Other items that saw noticeable gains were passenger vehicles, home and mortgage insurance, jewelry, telephone services and electricity.
The agency says core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as energy and some foods, rose three notches to 1.9 per cent.
Regionally, most provinces saw an increase in inflation last month, with New Brunswick continuing to have the highest rate in the country at 4.1 per cent.
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