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Manitoba's inflation rate second highest in country

By: Staff Writer

Friday, Aug. 17, 2012 at 10:04 AM | Comments: 0

WINNIPEG — The cost of living in Manitoba increased at one of the fastest rates in the country in July, new Statistics Canada figures show.

The agency said Manitoba’s annual inflation rate in July was 1.8 per cent. The only province with a higher annual rate was Quebec at 1.9 per cent.

Manitoba’s July’s rate was also up from the previous month, when it was 1.4 per cent.

Statistics Canada said some of the consumer goods and services which saw the biggest price increases over the past year were homeowners’ home and mortgage insurance (up 10.3 per cent), homeowners’ maintenance and repairs (9.3 per cent) and gasoline (5.2 per cent).

Some of the items that saw the biggest price declines were natural gas (down 19.4 per cent), home entertainment equipment, parts and services (8.1 per cent) and passenger vehicle insurance premiums (4.9 per cent).

Nationally, Canada’s annual inflation rate fell unexpectedly in July, declining to 1.3 per cent from 1.5 per cent in June.

Statistics Canada said higher prices for passenger vehicles, restaurant meals, meat and electricity were the main drivers of inflation last month.

Economists had expected a month-to-month increase of 0.2 per cent and a year-to-year increase of 1.6 per cent before the Statistics Canada report.

Core inflation — which excludes volatile items like energy and fresh fruit and vegetables — rose 1.7 per cent in the 12 months ended in July.

— with files by Canadian Press

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

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