Prices Analytical Series
The Canadian Consumer Price Index Enhancement Timeline

Release date: February 20, 2024
More information

An interactive timeline of the modernization of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and related programs with dates, links, and summary of key developments.

Legend

Data source

Any change or addition to data sources for the CPI.

Enhancement

Improvements to the CPIs collection, classification, processing, estimation, or production systems.

Methodology

Methodological changes to the Consumer Price Index program, which may include technical documentation or other announcements pertaining to the sample or calculation of the CPI.

New product

The publication of any new product related to Consumer Price Index data that may include, presentations, infographic, podcast, or CPI related tools.

Basket update

Statistics Canada regularly recalibrates the basket weights for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to ensure the CPI remains relevant to the changing consumption and expenditure patterns of Canadians.

  • New product - January 2024

    • 2023 Annual Review
    • Statistics Canada publishes the Consumer Price Index: Annual review 2023, highlighting the annual average consumer inflation in Canada and the regions.
    • Consumer Price Index: Annual review, 2023

  • Methodology - December 2023

    • Shelter overview
    • This article attempts to clarify concepts and practices related to the construction of the shelter component of the Canadian CPI and discuss precautions to be taken when making comparisons to other measures of housing prices.
    • Shelter in the Canadian CPI: An overview, 2023 update

    New product - December 2023

  • New product - November 2024

    • Food Price Hub
    • The new Food Price Data Hub, which features a variety of food price related statistics, articles and tools.
      This data hub offers access to a centralized collection of information on food prices in Canada.
    • Food Price Data Hub

    New product - November 2024

    • Price movements for wheat-based food products in 2023
    • This infographic details the food supply chain by focusing on the price movements for wheat-based food products in 2023 and the costs to move food products from producers to consumers.
    • The rise in prices for wheat-based food products, 2023

  • Basket update - June 2023

    • 2023 annual CPI basket update
    • The basket of goods and services used in the calculation of the CPI has been updated with the release of the May 2023 data. The new basket weights, available in table 18-10-0007-01, are based on 2022 expenditure data, ensuring the relevance of the CPI as a reflection of the most recent consumer expenditure data available.
      The new basket weight reference period is 2022, based on the most recent Household Final Consumption Expenditure data, and other alternative data.
    • An Analysis of the 2023 Consumer Price Index Basket Update, Based on 2022 Expenditures

    Data source - June 2023

    • Enhanced data source for insurance indexes
    • With the release of the May 2023 CPI, a new data source is now used for the calculation of the homeowners' home and mortgage insurance and passenger vehicle insurance premium indexes. This change incorporates more price quotes and a broader range of consumer profiles in the calculation of the insurance indexes.

  • New product - April 2023

    • Third CPI podcast
    • The Canadian CPI tells us a lot about the economy… if you know what to look for.
      Guy Gellatly, Chief Economic Advisor at StatCan, joins us at the mic to break down the CPI and answer our questions about the economy. What's the ideal inflation rate? Is no inflation the best kind of inflation? And what is a deflationary spiral?
    • Eh Sayers Season 3 Episode 4 - In a Movie About the Economy, Is Inflation the Bad Guy?

  • Methodology - February 2023

    • New methodology for digital computing equipment and devices
    • A new approach to estimate the computer equipment, software and supplies index and the multipurpose digital devices index, which are sub-indices of the digital computing equipment and devices index, will be implemented in the calculation of the CPI.
      The new approach includes enhanced methodology and new data sources.
    • Measuring the price of digital computing equipment and devices in the Consumer Price Index

    Enhancement - February 2023

    • Enhancements to CPI-median and CPI-trim
    • With the release of the January 2023 CPI, the CPI-trim and CPI-median were revised back 84 months as per their normal annual revision policy. Two enhancements were made:
      1. Statistics Canada published, for the first time, index-level data series for the CPI-trim and CPI-median to accompany the year-over-year figures published monthly since December 2016. The change was made in response to user requests, and to provide users additional flexibility with the data.
      2. The seasonal adjustment treatment of step-series indexes that are included in the calculation of the CPI-trim and CPI-median was enhanced as part of the regular review of methodologies that ensures techniques are improved to produce the most accurate indicators as possible for users.
    • Enhancements to the publication of core inflation measures based on the trimmed mean (CPI-trim) and the weighted median (CPI-median)

    Methodology - February 2023

    • Updated CPI Reference Paper
    • This Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper provides an overview of the Canadian CPI. It 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.
      This volume should be regarded as an update to The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper, published in 2019.
    • The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper

  • Enhancement - January 2023

    • Enhanced timeliness: CPI monthly release moved from Wednesday to Tuesday
    • On January 17, 2023 the CPI Daily transitioned its release, up one day to Tuesday.

    Enhancement - January 2023

    • Use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for the Survey of Household Spending, a key CPI weight source

  • New product - November 2022

    • Food infographic, "Behind the Numbers: The rise in prices for wheat-based food products"
    • This infographic details the food supply chain by focusing on the price movements for wheat-based food products in March 2022, and the costs to move food products from producers to consumers.
    • The rise in prices for wheat-based food products

    New product - November 2022

    • Growth in Food Prices
    • The publication, "Behind the Numbers: What's Causing Growth in Food Prices?", was published during Financial Literacy Month, November 2022.
      Consumer prices for food purchased from stores rose to a 41-year high in October 2022, as measured by the CPI. This analysis explores the factors behind rising prices for food commodities, including shifting consumer demand trends, supply constraints and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    • Behind the Numbers: What’s Causing Growth in Food Prices (statcan.gc.ca)

  • Basket update - June 2022

    • First annual basket update
    • Statistics Canada will move towards annual weight updates based on the most recent household expenditure data available.
      Frequent basket updates are important to ensure the CPI can respond quickly to changes in consumer behaviours and preferences. Statistics Canada’s approach to basket updates is aligned with international standards and best practices, and ensures that we deliver the most up-to-date data to support social and monetary policy decisions that benefit all Canadians.
    • An Analysis of the 2022 Consumer Price Index Basket Update, Based on 2021 Expenditures

  • Methodology - May 2022

    • New methodology for used vehicles
    • Statistics Canada will use administrative data to strengthen the measurement of price change for used vehicles, which will replace the current method of measuring price change by proxy. The enhancements will be incorporated into the calculation of the purchase of passenger vehicles index. With the introduction of used vehicle prices in the CPI, two new series will be published: purchase of new passenger vehicles (2022-04=100) and purchase of used passenger vehicles (2022-04=100). Both price index series will be available starting April 2022 and will be published at the national level.
    • Measuring price change for used vehicles in the Canadian Consumer Price Index

    Methodology - May 2022

    • The Monthly Average Retail Prices Table
    • The table, Monthly average retail prices for selected products provides average monthly price estimates for a range of products commonly purchased by Canadian consumers.
      The average prices in this table are calculated using scanner data (also known as transaction data) collected from Canadian retailers which offers a significant quality advantage over traditional in-store collection. Transaction data provide a comprehensive electronic record of the transactions made through a retailer’s point-of-sale system by including prices from thousands of stores across the country, representing millions of weekly food prices and covering the majority of the Canadian grocery market.
    • Methodological Supplement for the Monthly Average Retail Prices Table

  • New product - April 2022

    • Second CPI-related podcast
    • As the effects of the pandemic continue into its second year, we have all had to make adjustments with the way we go about our daily lives.
      Andrew Barclay, an economist at Statistics Canada discusses the supply chain, what it is and why it's important to Canadians. He also discusses the ripple effect it has on our consumer goods and services.
    • Eh Sayers Season 2 Episode 3 - Dude, Where's My Semiconductor?

  • Enhancement - February 2022

    • Development of data architecture in the cloud
    • A presentation from the meeting of the Group of Experts on Consumer Prices Indexes at the spring 2023 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, covering recent enhancements on Statistics Canada's enhancements to the CPI, sharing the challenges faced and lessons learned from our journey to adopt alternative data, and discussing the data and application architecture best practices being developed to support the program.
    • Enhancing the Canadian Consumer Price Index

  • New product - January 2022

    Enhancement - January 2022

    • Investment into Machine Learning (ML) Operations for mature at scale adoption of ML

  • Enhancement - November 2021

    • Adjusted Price Index released as superlative
    • The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation where the behaviours of Canadians were significantly altered over a very short period of time, undoubtedly affecting consumption patterns which, by design, are not accounted for in the official CPI fixed basket weights.
      In order to assess the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian household expenditures, Statistics Canada, in partnership with the Bank of Canada, explored more current sources of expenditure data to estimate basket weights that reflected shifting consumption patterns during the pandemic.
    • Adjusted Price Index and Monthly Adjusted Consumer Expenditure Basket Weights

  • New product - September 2021

    • Inaugural annual publication of products/services for which prices are collected for the CPI
    • The Representative Products of the Consumer Price Index is the list of the representative products in the CPI basket of goods and services as of August 2023. Representative products are added and deleted each month as goods and services appear and disappear from the market.
      This list will be updated on a periodic basis.
    • The Representative Products of the Consumer Price Index

    New product - September 2021

    • Special-aggregate price index for digital economy services published with August CPI
    • The rise of the digital economy has altered the consumption patterns of Canadians, as more goods and services can be purchased and consumed online. From 2018 to 2020, online spending rose by almost half, as online shopping and new digital goods and services became more popular.
      To gain additional insight into prices related to the digital economy, a special aggregate price index for digital economy services was published with the release of the August 2021 CPI.

  • Data source - June 2021

    • New weight source: Household Final Consumption Expenditure
    • On July 21, 2021, the new basket weights for the goods and services used in the calculation of the CPI will be made available in table 18-10-0007-01.
      The basket weights and classification structure used in the aggregation of the CPI will be updated based on consumer spending patterns from the 2020 national Household Final Consumption Expenditure (HFCE) series, replacing those derived from the 2017 Survey of Household Spending (SHS). These updates to the data sources and the classification structure of the basket enhance the quality and relevance of the CPI.
    • Consumer Price Index: New basket weights, 2021

  • New product - May 2021

  • Methodology - March 2021

    • Resale housing prices incorporated into the Mortgage Interest Cost Index
    • With the release of the February 2021 CPI, the Mortgage Interest Cost Index (MICI) has been enhanced by incorporating into the house sub-index the Resale Housing Price Index (a component of the Residential Property Price Index).
      This supplement provides further details on the imputations used to compile the February 2021 CPI and the incorporation of resale housing prices in the MICI.
    • Technical Supplement for the February 2021 Consumer Price Index

  • Methodology - February 2021

    • New methodology for computer equipment, software and supplies
    • The computer equipment, software, and supplies index in the CPI measures the monthly changes over time in the price of laptops, desktops, monitors, and printers.
      In order to better measure price change for these items, enhancements have been made to allow for improved coverage of computer equipment, software, and supplies products in the CPI through an increase in the number of observations used to calculate the index, as well as a timelier receipt of data to feed the index.
    • A new approach for estimating the Computer Equipment, Software and Supplies Index in the Consumer Price Index

  • Data source - January 2021

    • Auto-coding, using machine learning for the Survey of Household Spending, CPI weight source.

    New product - January 2021

    • First CPI-related podcast
    • Why Should You Care About Inflation?
      The COVID-19 pandemic has had an undeniable impact on the way that we spend money. Documenting these shifts in spending patterns is crucial to decision making and providing Canadians with timely and accurate information on consumer price changes.
      The CPI is the most widely used indicator of consumer price change and inflation in Canada. Our guest, Taylor Mitchell, an economist at Statistics Canada, explains why the CPI is an important tool for setting economic policy and monitoring economic conditions. She will also shed light on why you should care about inflation, its impact on different population groups and the cost of living.
    • Eh Sayers Season 1 Bonus Episode - Why Should You Care About Inflation?

  • New product - November 2020

    • Publication of Personal Inflation Calculator
    • Have you ever wondered how your experience of inflation differs from the average Canadian household as reported in CPI.
      Statistics Canada is pleased to present an interactive tool that allows you to explore your personal rate of inflation, based on the goods and services you consume!
    • Consumer Price Index Personal Inflation Calculator

    New product - November 2020

  • New product - June 2020

    • Adjusted price index first released as a monthly chained Laspeyres index
    • Canadians have been spending a lot more time and money at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and a lot less on travel and other items. Statistics Canada has adapted to these changes in spending habits by developing the adjusted price index in partnership with the Bank of Canada. The adjusted price index takes into account these sudden shifts in spending patterns when weighing the components that make up the CPI.
    • Adjusting the Consumer Price Index to the new spending realities during the pandemic

    Enhancement - June 2020

    • New prices repository and analytics depot (PRAD) for CPI data.

  • Enhancement - May 2020

    • Permanent cancellation of in-person/in-store price collection due to COVID-19 and accelerated implementation of alternate data sources
    • The COVID-19 pandemic presented a number of challenges to the collection and calculation of the Consumer Price Index in April 2020. The treatments outlined in this document were implemented to ensure the CPI remains reflective of prices faced by consumers, for the products and services that were available for consumption in April. The CPI remains a robust indicator of price change in Canada.
    • Technical Supplement for the April 2020 Consumer Price Index

  • Data source - February 2020

    Enhancement - February 2020

    • Initial use of supervised machine learning (ML) for classification of alternative data

  • Methodology - December 2019

    • New methodology for air transportation
    • With the release of the November 2019 Consumer Price Index (CPI), the final phase of a series of enhancements to the methods and processes to compile the air transportation index has been completed. These changes constitute important enhancements in maintaining the quality and relevance of the air transportation index.
    • Enhancements to the Air Transportation Index in the Consumer Price Index

  • Enhancement - April 2019

    • Enhanced timeliness: Moved monthly CPI release day from Friday to Wednesday

  • New product - March 2019

    • CPI Price trends, a new data visualization tool
    • Explore current and historical trends for various CPI items at the national or regional level. Create customized line charts, selecting from a variety of CPI indicators including monthly CPI, seasonally adjusted CPI, and Bank of Canada core measures.
    • Price trends: 1914 to today

    New product - March 2019

    • CPI Snapshot, a new data visualization tool
    • Use this tool to see data from the latest CPI release and explore recent price changes by the various basket components and geographies. You can also explore the basket contents and the share of the total Canadian household budget represented by the various goods and services included.
    • Latest Snapshot of the CPI

  • Methodology - February 2019

  • Enhancement - January 2019

    • New spatial index processing and estimation system
    • Replacement of 30+ year old data processing and estimation system (LCD) for Aquila.

  • Methodology - December 2018

    • New methodology for telephone services
    • The release of the November 2018 CPI reflects changes in the methodology for the telephone services index and the multipurpose digital devices index.

  • Data source - October 2018

    • Introduction of scanner data into isolated-post spatial index calculation

  • Data source - May 2018

    • Introduction of scanner data in the CPI food indexes
    • As alternative data sources have become available, minor changes were made to the classification of the food component at lower level aggregates to better facilitate the use of scanner data.
      In 2018, the Canadian CPI first introduced scanner data as a method of collection for grocery products. The use of scanner data allows the CPI to capture actual transaction prices paid by consumers, increasing the relevance of the data captured. Scanner data will be further incorporated into the CPI as data sources become available.

  • Methodology - November 2017

    • New methodology for mortgage interest cost
    • The release of the October 2017 CPI marks the implementation of new data sources and methodological changes for the calculation of the mortgage interest cost index (MICI).
      This new approach uses administrative data to replace survey data, which reduces survey response burden while better reflecting the Canadian residential mortgage market and allowing for a simplified estimation process.
    • New approach for estimating the mortgage interest cost index

  • Methodology - September 2017

    • New methodology for gasoline
    • The release of the August 2017 CPI marks the implementation of a new gasoline index methodology.
      The gasoline index methodology changes consist of two main elements: collection of prices in more cities, and over more days of the month (every business day); and, a new aggregation formula.

  • New product - December 2016

    • Introduction of the Bank of Canada's new preferred measures of core inflation
    • At the request of the Bank of Canada, Statistics Canada produces and publishes the Bank's three preferred measures of core inflation: CPI-trim (trimmed mean), CPI-median (weighted median), and CPI-common (common component).

  • New product - January 2016

  • Enhancement - October 2015

    • New index aggregation system deployed to calculate the CPI
    • Index aggregation system (Cygnus) deployed to calculate the CPI.
      The advanced IT tools of Cygnus will allow internal users and researchers to run simulations, which will help improve understanding, inform future improvements and quality adjustments. Internal key informants believe that Cygnus will open up research and analysis and will increase the accuracy of the CPI.
      The complete implementation of Cygnus enables better data navigation and analysis, as well as improved reporting capabilities

  • Methodology - February 2015

    • The Consumer Price Index, from its origins to today
    • With the release of the December 2014 Consumer Price Index, Canada’s CPI covers a century of change in consumer prices. This historical time series spans periods of economic expansion, recessions, war, demographic changes, technological advancements and ongoing improvements in price index theory and practice. The history of the CPI illustrates the challenges involved in measuring changing consumer prices over time.
    • Exploring the first century of Canada’s Consumer Price Index

  • Enhancement - December 2014

    • Updated CPI Reference Paper after 20 years
    • A comprehensive update to The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper 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.
    • The Canadian Consumer Price Index Reference Paper

  • New product - August 2014

    • First CPI educational video released: An overview of Canada’s Consumer Price Index (CPI)
    • A video providing an overview of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is now available on Statistics Canada's website.
    • What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

  • Methodology - May 2013

    • The Consumer Price Index Enhancement Initiative
    • This report presents the findings and recommendations from the 2012/2013 evaluation of the CPI, including the CPI Enhancement Initiative.
      The evaluation was designed and conducted in accordance with Treasury Board (TB) Policies and Guidelines as outlined in the TB's Policy on Evaluation (April 2009). The evaluation objective was to provide credible and neutral information on the ongoing relevance and performance of the CPI.
    • The Consumer Price Index and the CPI Enhancement Initiative 2008-2009 to 2012-2013

  • Methodology - March 2013

    • First biennial basket update (from previous 4-to-5-year cycle)
    • Statistics Canada has updated the weights in the basket of goods and services used in the calculation of the CPI. This marks the first time in the Canadian CPI's history that weights were updated two years after the previous update, instead of the four-year interval which was the past practice. In addition, the implementation of the new basket weights has been shortened by three months. As a result, the Canadian CPI has more current and representative weights.
    • Consumer Price Index: Basket update and Enhancement Initiative


More information

ISSN: 1706-7723

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2024

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 62F0014M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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