Core inflation · Canada

Canada Core Inflation Rate YoY

The Canada Core Inflation Rate YoY measures the rise in consumer prices in Canada without the most volatile items, usually food and energy (definitions vary by country).

Importance
High
Released
Monthly
Next release
Currency
CAD · Canadian dollar
Central bank
The Bank of Canada

Latest figures

The latest release for SEP, published on 19 October 2026, came in at 2.2%, down from 2.4% the time before.

Over the last 12 releases it ranged from 2.1% to 2.9%, averaging 2.4%.

Nov 2025: 2.9%Dec 2025: 2.9%Jan 2026: 2.8%Feb 2026: 2.6%Mar 2026: 2.3%Apr 2026: 2.5%May 2026: 2.1%Jun 2026: 2.2%Jul 2026: 2.1%Aug 2026: 2.3%Sep 2026: 2.4%Oct 2026: 2.2% Nov 2025Oct 2026
Actual results; the short line on a bar marks the consensus.
ReleasedForActualConsensusPrevious
19 Oct 2026SEP2.2%–2.4%
14 Sep 2026AUG2.4%–2.3%
17 Aug 2026JUL2.3%–2.1%
20 Jul 2026JUN2.1%–2.2%
22 Jun 2026MAY2.2%–2.1%
19 May 2026APR2.1%–2.5%
20 Apr 2026MAR2.5%–2.3%
16 Mar 2026FEB2.3%–2.6%
17 Feb 2026JAN2.6%–2.8%
19 Jan 2026DEC2.8%–2.9%
15 Dec 2025NOV2.9%–2.9%
17 Nov 2025OCT2.9%–2.8%

See it in the economic calendar →

Why it matters

Food and energy prices jump with harvests and oil, then fall back. The core rate shows the underlying trend that the Bank of Canada can actually influence, so it often moves markets more than the headline. Services inflation, driven by wages, is the stickiest part.

How it is calculated

Statistics Canada takes the consumer price index basket, removes the excluded items and re-weights the rest; the change is measured month on month and against the same month a year earlier.

Core inflation (yoy) = core index ÷ core index 12 months ago − 1

What changes mean

  • A core rate falling towards the target lets the Bank of Canada ease; a stubborn core keeps rates high.
  • Monthly core changes of 0.2% compound to about 2.4% a year; 0.3% to about 3.7%.
  • Markets compare the figure with the consensus to one decimal; a 0.1-point surprise moves currencies.

Higher than expected: A higher figure than expected makes the Bank of Canada more likely to keep rates high or raise them: it tends to support the Canadian dollar and push bond yields up, and is often a weight on stocks.

Lower than expected: A lower figure than expected gives the Bank of Canada room to cut or hold rates lower: the Canadian dollar tends to soften and bond yields to fall.

A short history

Economists Robert Gordon and others popularised excluding food and energy in the 1970s, when oil shocks made the headline rate misleading; most central banks now publish or watch a core measure.

Questions

What is the Canada Core Inflation Rate YoY?

The Canada Core Inflation Rate YoY measures the rise in consumer prices in Canada without the most volatile items, usually food and energy (definitions vary by country).

What was the latest Canada Core Inflation Rate YoY?

2.2% for SEP, published on 19 October 2026.

When is the next Canada Core Inflation Rate YoY?

On Monday 16 November 2026 at 13:30 UTC.

Educational content only, not investment advice. Figures are the published results as recorded by our calendar; market reactions described are typical, not guaranteed.