December 15, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Rising grocery bills continued to squeeze Canadian consumers in November, even as overall inflation remained unchanged, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The agency reported Monday that the annual inflation rate held steady at 2.2 per cent in November, matching October’s reading and coming in slightly below economists’ expectations.
Food prices, however, told a different story. Grocery costs climbed 4.7 per cent year-over-year in November, up sharply from a 3.4 per cent increase in October and marking the highest level recorded since December 2023.
Statistics Canada said rising prices for fresh berries were a key factor behind the acceleration, while costs also increased across a broader category that includes prepared foods such as soup and potato chips.
Meat prices also surged, with fresh or frozen beef up 17.7 per cent compared with a year earlier. The agency attributed the increase to lower cattle inventories across North America. Meanwhile, refined coffee prices jumped 27.8 per cent annually, driven by U.S. tariffs and challenging weather conditions affecting coffee-producing regions.
Gasoline prices were lower than a year ago but rose 1.8 per cent month-over-month in November, largely due to oil refinery disruptions, StatCan said.
Some relief came in the form of lower travel costs. Prices for travel tours fell 8.2 per cent year-over-year in November, as fewer Canadians travelled to the United States.
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