Canadian consumer price inflation rises 0.2% in February

Statistics Canada released consumer price inflation data on Friday. Canadian consumer price inflation rose 0.2% in February, missing expectations for a 0.4% rise, after a 0.2% gain in January.

The monthly rise was mainly driven by an increase in prices for recreation, education and reading, and clothing and footwear. Prices for recreation, education and reading were up 1.6% in February, while prices clothing and footwear increased 1.4%.

On a yearly basis, the consumer price index slid to 1.4% in February from 2.0% in January, missing expectations for a decline to 1.5%.

The consumer price index was mainly driven by lower gasoline prices, which plunged 13.1% year-on-year in February.

Food prices climbed 3.9% year-on-year in February, while alcoholic beverages and tobacco products prices increased 3.3%.

The index for recreation, education and reading climbed by 1.6% in February from the same month a year earlier, the shelter index gained 1.2%, while clothing and footwear prices dropped 1.3%.

The Canadian core consumer price index, which excludes some volatile goods, increased 0.5% in February, after a 0.3% increase in January.

On a yearly basis, core consumer price index in Canada fell to 1.9% in February from 2.0% in January. Analysts had expected the index to remain unchanged at 2.0%.

The Bank of Canada's inflation target is 2.0%.