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Consumer Price Index, November 2015

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Released: 2015-12-18

Consumer Price Index

November 2015

1.4% 

(12-month change)

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.4% in the 12 months to November, after increasing 1.0% in October.

Gasoline prices continued to moderate the year-over-year rise in the CPI in November, but to a lesser extent than in October. In November, the gasoline index was down 10.6% year over year compared with a 17.1% decrease the previous month.

Chart 1  Chart 1: The 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index
The 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index

12-month change in the major components

Prices were up in seven of the eight major components on a year-over-year basis in November, with the food and shelter indexes contributing the most to the rise in the CPI. The transportation index, which includes gasoline, recorded its smallest decrease since November 2014.

Chart 2  Chart 2: Consumer prices increase in seven of eight major components
Consumer prices increase in seven of eight major components

Food prices were up 3.4% in the 12 months to November, after rising 4.1% in October. The index for food purchased from stores registered a 3.7% year-over-year gain, following a 4.6% increase the previous month. While prices for fresh vegetables and meat contributed the most to the gain, they increased less year over year in November than October. Prices for food purchased from restaurants were up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis in November, following a 2.7% increase in October.

The clothing and footwear index increased 2.1% on a year-over-year basis in November, after rising 0.8% in October. This acceleration was led by men's clothing prices, which increased more in the 12 months to November (+3.0%) than in October (+0.7%). In addition, the jewellery index rose 7.8% year over year in November, its largest increase since October 2013.

The transportation index was down 1.1% in the 12 months to November, after decreasing 3.2% the previous month. This smaller year-over-year decline was mainly attributable to gasoline prices, which fell less in the 12 months to November than in October. The purchase of passenger vehicles index was up 1.9% year over year in November, after increasing 1.6% the previous month.

12-month change in the provinces

Consumer prices rose in every province in the 12 months to November, with Saskatchewan posting the largest gain. The CPI in Prince Edward Island registered its first year-over-year increase since November 2014.

In every province, prices for gasoline decreased less on a year-over-year basis in November than in October.

Chart 3  Chart 3: Consumer prices rise in all provinces
Consumer prices rise in all provinces

The CPI in Saskatchewan rose 2.1% in the 12 months to November, after increasing 1.4% the previous month. The women's clothing index was up 5.1% year over year in November, a larger increase than at the national level. In addition, the purchase of passenger vehicles index increased more on a year-over-year basis in November (+3.9%) than in October (+3.2%).

In Prince Edward Island, the CPI was up 0.2% year over year in November, after declining 0.8% the previous month. The fuel oil index posted a smaller decrease in the 12 months to November (-17.1%) compared with October (-21.9%). The women's clothing index was down 10.7% year over year in November, following a 16.5% decrease the previous month.

Manitoba was the lone province to record a smaller year-over-year increase in its CPI in November (+1.8%) than in October (+1.9%). This deceleration was partly attributable to the natural gas index, which fell 11.0% in the 12 months to November compared with a 1.9% decrease the previous month. The main upward contributor to the CPI in the province was the purchase of passenger vehicles index, which rose 2.5% year over year in November.

Seasonally adjusted monthly Consumer Price Index increases

On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.2% in November, matching the increase in October.

Chart 4  Chart 4: Seasonally adjusted monthly Consumer Price Index
Seasonally adjusted monthly Consumer Price Index

In November, five of the eight major components increased on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, two decreased, while the food index posted no change.

On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the largest increase in November was recorded in the transportation index (+0.8%), while the household operations, furnishings and equipment index (-0.6%) posted the largest decline.

Bank of Canada's core index

The Bank of Canada's core index was up 2.0% in the 12 months to November, following a 2.1% rise in October.

The seasonally adjusted core index was up 0.1% on a monthly basis in November, after increasing 0.2% in October.




  Note to readers

A seasonally adjusted series is one from which seasonal movements have been eliminated. Users employing Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for indexation purposes are advised to use the unadjusted indexes. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.

The Bank of Canada's core index excludes eight of the CPI's most volatile components (fruit, fruit preparations and nuts; vegetables and vegetable preparations; mortgage interest cost; natural gas; fuel oil and other fuels; gasoline; inter-city transportation; and tobacco products and smokers' supplies) as well as the effects of changes in indirect taxes on the remaining components.

As mentioned in the previous release, this month marks the implementation of an improved methodology for the Internet access services index. For more information, refer to Changes to the Internet access services index of the Consumer Price Index.

The methodology for the traveller accommodation index will be updated with the release of the January 2016 reference month CPI (to be published February 19, 2016). For more information, refer to Changes to the traveller accommodation index of the Consumer Price Index.

New product

An update to The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper (Catalogue number62-553-X) is now available. The paper explains all the important aspects of the Canadian CPI: uses and interpretations, scope, classifications, sample strategy, price collection, index calculation, quality change, weights, basket updates, reliability and uncertainty, special cases and treatments, and history.

Next release

The CPI for December 2015 will be released on January 22, 2016.

Products

The November 2015 issue of The Consumer Price Index, Vol. 94, no. 11 (Catalogue number62-001-X), is now available from the Browse by key resource module of our website under Publications.

More information about the concepts and use of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is available in The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper (Catalogue number62-553-X).

For information on the history of the CPI in Canada, consult the publication Exploring the first century of Canada's Consumer Price Index (Catalogue number62-604-X).

A video providing an overview of the CPI is 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).

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