Statistics Canada said the Consumer Price Index rose 3.1% year over year in September 2026, up from a 3.0% increase in August. On a monthly basis the index rose 0.1% on an unadjusted basis, or 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The agency said energy prices led the September acceleration. It said crude oil prices increased during the month, reaching their highest level since May, "amid ongoing uncertainty about the wars in the Middle East." Gasoline prices rose 27.8% year over year in September, up from a 22.8% increase in August. Energy prices overall rose 19.0% year over year, compared with 15.4% in August.
Excluding gasoline, the CPI rose 2.2% year over year in September, down from 2.4% in August.
The agency said transportation costs, which include gasoline, rose 8.4% year over year in September. Prices for food purchased from stores rose 1.7% year over year, after increasing 2.8% in August, which it said was the smallest yearly increase in that category since May 2024.
Shelter prices rose 1.8% year over year in September, up from 1.5% in August, which the agency attributed to higher fuel oil costs and increases in homeowners' insurance.
Statistics Canada said five provinces experienced faster price growth in September, primarily due to elevated gasoline and fuel oil costs, and that Atlantic Canada showed notably higher inflation when energy costs were excluded from the regional comparison.