Higher prices for food helped keep Canada's annual rate of inflation at 2.9% in November, matching October's rise, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.
Last month's overall inflation figure matched the expectations of economists.
The nation's number crunchers said that while the 12-month change in gasoline prices continued to ease, the year-over-year increase in food prices remained high.
Gasoline prices rose 13.5% in the 12 months to November, after advancing 18.2% in October. The increase in November was the smallest year-over-year gain since the beginning of 2011.
Meanwhile, consumers paid 4.8% more for food in the 12 months to November, the largest increase since July 2009. The November gain follows a 4.3% increase in October.
Shelter costs rose by 1.5%, driven by increases in fuel oil, homeowners' replacement costs and electricity. Conversely, mortgage interest costs decreased 1.1% for the 12-month period, after falling 1.3% year-over-year in October.
The closely watched Bank of Canada core index rose 2.1% for the year to November, following a similar gain in October.
The core index strips out volatile food and energy prices, and is the baseline the Bank of Canada pays closer attention to in making its interest rate decisions.
Prices in Newfoundland and Labrador rose 4.1% in the 12 months to November — the largest increase among the provinces.
Consumers paid 13.6% more year-over-year for gasoline, while the price of fuel oil advanced 24.9%.
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