Analysis

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Consumer prices rose 1.8% in the 12 months to July, following a 1.0% increase in June. In July, consumer prices were affected by changes in consumption taxes in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Energy prices rose 7.9% between July 2009 and July 2010, following a 1.3% increase during the 12-month period to June. Excluding energy, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 1.3% in July, after posting a 0.9% increase in June.

Within the energy price index, prices for electricity rose 9.8% in July compared with the same month a year earlier.

As well, gasoline prices were 4.8% higher in July than they were a year ago. This followed a 2.9% decline in the 12 months to June.

Higher consumer prices were also recorded in July for homeowner’s replacement costs (+5.5%), passenger vehicle insurance premiums (+5.1%), and prices for food purchased from restaurants (+2.8%).

12-month change: Seven of the eight CPI major components rise

Prices increased in seven of the eight major components of the CPI in the 12 months to July; the only exception was clothing and footwear.

Shelter costs rose 2.9% in July after increasing 1.6% in June. In addition to paying higher prices for electricity and homeowner’s replacement costs, consumers also paid more for natural gas.

The mortgage interest cost index, which measures the change in the interest portion of payments on outstanding mortgage debt, declined 4.2% in July, following a 5.0% decrease in June.

Transportation costs went up 2.7% in the 12 months to July following a 1.0% increase in June. As well as paying higher prices for gasoline and passenger vehicle insurance premiums, consumers paid 1.7% more for the purchase of passenger vehicles in July.

Prices in the household operations, furnishings and equipment component were up 2.0% in July compared with the same month last year. This increase followed a 1.2% rise in June.

Food prices advanced 1.1%, following a 0.7% increase in June. In July, higher prices were recorded for both food purchased from restaurants and food purchased from stores. Prices increased for non-alcoholic beverages, sugar and confectionary, and dairy products and eggs, while prices for fresh fruit and fresh vegetables fell.

In the health and personal care component, prices rose 2.8% after increasing 1.7% during the 12-month period to June. Prices for personal care services and health care services increased.

Prices in the recreation, education and reading component rose 0.8%, following a 0.4% increase in June. Consumers paid more for cablevision and satellite services as well as for the use of recreational facilities and services. However, prices for home entertainment equipment, parts and services and computer equipment and supplies fell.

Consumers paid 2.7% less for clothing and footwear in July than a year ago. Lower prices were recorded for women’s, children’s, and men’s clothing.

The provinces

Consumer prices rose in all provinces, except Manitoba, in the 12 months to July.

On July 1, 2010, the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) came into effect in Ontario and British Columbia. As well, Nova Scotia increased its HST by two percentage points.

The largest year-over-year change occurred in Ontario, where consumer prices rose 2.9% after increasing 1.6% in June. Prices for gasoline, electricity, and passenger vehicle insurance premiums went up. Ontario consumers also paid more for homeowner’s replacement costs.

Consumer prices advanced 2.0% in British Columbia during the 12-month period to July after a 0.5% increase in June. In July, electricity prices rose 36.7% and prices for food purchased from restaurants increased 7.5%. As well, prices at the pump and homeowner’s replacement costs went up.

Prices in Nova Scotia increased 1.7% in the 12 months to July. Higher prices were recorded for food purchased from restaurants, gasoline, the purchase of passenger vehicles, and cablevision and satellite services.

In Manitoba, prices declined 0.3% in the 12 months to July, following a 0.2% decrease in June. Lower prices for gasoline, natural gas and home and mortgage insurance were recorded in this province.

The non-seasonally adjusted monthly CPI increases

In July, consumer prices prior to seasonal adjustment rose 0.5%, on the heels of a 0.1% decline in June.

Prices increased in seven of the eight major components of the CPI in July; the only exception was clothing and footwear.

The shelter component posted a 0.8% increase in July, where prices for electricity rose 4.0%.

Food prices rose 0.6% from June to July. Prices for food purchased from restaurants increased 1.1%.

In the recreation, education and reading component, prices rose 0.9% after increasing 0.6% in June. Consumers paid more for traveller accommodation, cablevision and satellite services, and the use of recreational facilities and services.

Prices in the clothing and footwear component declined 1.0% in July.

Overall, consumer prices were up in seven provinces from June to July.

The monthly CPI fell in Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Seasonally adjusted monthly CPI increases

On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.6% in July, following a 0.2% decline in June. The alcoholic beverages and tobacco products index increased 1.7%, while the health and personal care index rose 1.0%. Also, the shelter index increased 0.8%.

12-month change in the Bank of Canada’s core index

The Bank of Canada’s core index advanced 1.6% in the 12 months to July, following a 1.7% rise in June.

On a month-to-month basis, the core index prior to seasonal adjustment fell 0.1% in July, after decreasing by the same amount in June.

The seasonally adjusted monthly core index rose 0.1% in July, matching the increase in June.

The measure of the Bank of Canada’s core index excludes from the all-items CPI the effect of changes in indirect taxes, including consumption taxes such as the HST, and eight of the most volatile components identified by the Bank of Canada.