The country's annual inflation rate decelerated under the weight of low energy prices to just 0.8% last month -- its lowest since October 2013, according to information released this morning by Statistics Canada.
The April inflation reading came in much lower than the 1.2% increase in March.
The agency's latest consumer price index says cheaper year-over-year energy prices were among the biggest factors behind the inflation rate -- as prices rose in seven of the index's eight major categories.
The agency says gasoline prices fell 21% in April compared with the previous year, while fuel oil tumbled 20% and natural gas dropped by 14.6%.
The core inflation rate, which excludes some volatile items such as gasoline, was 2.3% last month, which followed a 2.4% reading in March.
The items with the most upward pressure on prices included meat, which rose 11.2% compared to a year earlier. Home and mortgage insurance rose 8.6% and telephone services crept up 6.3%.
Consumer prices rose last month in seven provinces -- with only Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick registering negative inflation.
Related Stories
