Canada’s annual inflation rate slowed to 1.8 per cent in February, according to Statistics Canada data published Monday. Economists had expected the inflation rate to drop to 1.9 per cent from 2.3 per cent in January, according to CIBC Economics’ consensus estimates.
Expectations for a decline were partly due to prices being pushed higher a year ago when the government tax holiday ended.
The data come two days ahead of the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate announcement, and follow weak jobs data released last Friday.
In a Friday note to clients, CIBC economist Katherine Judge noted that core measures of inflation, which strip out more volatile items, have been broadly stable. That should give the Bank of Canada space to “play down its concern around higher energy prices” caused by the war in Iran, Judge wrote — which in turn could push the main inflation measure toward three per cent in the months ahead.
“Tame demand should keep core services inflation muted, along with the deceleration in rents, leaving the Bank of Canada on the sidelines,” Judge said.
On a monthly basis, CPI increased 0.5 per cent in February. Seasonally adjusted, CPI rose 0.1 per cent.
This story will be updated.
John MacFarlane is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on X @jmacf.
Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.