Canada inflation: Here's what will cost you more at the grocery store

Certain food items in Canada are still becoming more expensive, although there has been a minor decrease in the inflation rate.

The most recent report on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in May 2023 reveals a 3.4% hike in inflation compared to the same period last year. This increase is lower than April's surge of 4.4%. Statistics Canada sources explain that the drop is due to the decline in gas prices.

According to the government, grocery prices continue to be expensive as there has been a nine percent increase from May of the previous year. Although there was a small decrease from April's prices (9.1 percent), Canadian shoppers are still feeling the impact in their finances.

According to StatCan, year-over-year numbers show an increase in edible oils and fats, baked goods, and cereal products, with an upwards trend in food purchased from restaurants.

In the month of May, the cost of food bought from eating establishments went up by 6.8%, whereas in April it only rose by 6.4%.

According to the CPI report, these businesses are being heavily affected by labor shortages, increased input costs, and rising expenses.

"Better With Butter, Oils, And Wheat"

According to information gathered by StatCan, Canada is experiencing the highest surge in the cost of edible oils and fats.

During May of 2023, there was a surge in prices that amounted to a 20.3% increase from the same time the previous year. This is a noticeable difference of 1.8% when compared to the prices recorded in April 2023.

The cost of butter has risen sharply recently, with prices spiking between April and May 2023. Stats show that the inflation of butter reached 10% on a yearly basis in May 2023, which marks a 4.4% surge compared to April 2023.

According to the most recent CPI report, several food items made from wheat or flour also experienced a surge in prices.

In May 2023, there was a rise of 16.3 per cent in cookies and crackers compared to the previous year. This was an increase of 1.6 per cent from April 2023.

In April 2023, the cost of flour and related mixtures experienced a surge of 6.5 percent. When compared to May of the previous year, this marks a rise of 12.6 percent.

The selling price of cereals rose by 13.6% compared to the previous year, with a slight growth of 1.4% as compared to April 2023.

There was a small rise of 0.1% in the sales of pasta products starting from April 2023, but they continued to maintain a high record at 18.5% compared to the same timeframe last year in May 2023.

EAT FRUITS, VEGGIES & MEAT

The cost of lettuce has remained high during May of 2023 and has gone up compared to the prices in April of 2023.

The recent data from StatCan reveals that the cost of lettuce has surged by 15.9% when compared to May 2022. Additionally, there has been an 8.5% rise in prices from April 2023, making it one of the fastest-growing food expenses.

The cost of oranges has gone up significantly, with a rise of 14.7% compared to last year in May 2023. This represents an additional surge of 3.2% from the previous month of April 2023.

The cost of potatoes has also risen significantly.

New data from StatCan reveals that the cost of potatoes increased by 4.3 per cent starting April 2023. This led to a year-over-year price increase of 7.6 per cent in May 2023.

The amount of tomatoes decreased in May, reaching a 10.3% decline compared to the same time last year. This marks a 12.8% drop from April 2023.

Canadians can still purchase bananas at a very reasonable price, as they only saw a slight increase of 0.7% compared to the same period last year, as of May 2023.

In April 2023, there was a small drop of 0.3 percent in the price of fresh and frozen poultry. This came after a rise of 9.8 percent over the previous year, which had been seen in May 2023.

In Canada, the cost of beef that is either fresh or has been frozen is still lower compared to the price of chicken.

According to the information presented, the cost of beef went up by 5.5 percent from the previous year in May 2023. Additionally, there was a slight rise of 0.3 percent from April 2023.

During this summer, Canadians will need to pay extra for a refreshing and delicious dessert.

In May, the cost of ice cream items went up by 8.7% compared to the previous year, which was a rise of 2.5% from the recorded figure in April 2023.

In May of 2023, the cost of coffee and tea went up by 8.5% compared to the previous year, which is a 3.6% increase from April of the same year.

Data indicates that the cost of eggs remained at the same level as the previous month in April 2023. However, the prices still remain high with a 8.2% increase compared to the same time last year.

From April 2023 to May 2023, the price of cheese went up by 1.4%. As a result, the year-over-year increase in cheese prices was six percent.

Please take note that there are some grocery item data that are only available on a national level and not on a provincial level. If you can't view the interactive feature, you may click the provided link.