A customer shops for groceries at a market in Toronto, Canada, on Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

OTTAWA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.9 percent year over year in January, following an increase of 1.8 percent in December, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

According to the national statistical agency, increased energy prices, notably for gasoline and natural gas, contributed the most to the acceleration in January. Excluding gasoline, the CPI rose 1.7 percent.

These price increases were partly offset by continued downward pressure on prices for products affected by the goods and services tax (GST)/harmonized sales tax (HST) break introduced in December, the agency said.

Prices for the food component fell 0.6 percent on a year-over-year basis in January, the first yearly decrease since May 2017, driven by a record decline of 5.1 percent in prices for food purchased from restaurants, the agency added.

On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.1 percent in January compared with a 0.4 percent decline in December, said Statistics Canada. ■

People walk past a store in Toronto, Canada, on Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

Customers shop for fruits at a market in Toronto, Canada, on Feb. 18, 2025. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

Editor: JYZ