Canada’s inflation rate is cooling off but Quebec just got more expensive

<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-stack-of-canadian-bills-right-a-quebec-flag-waving.jpg?id=60283305&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C136%2C0%2C136"/><br/><br/><p>If your <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-grocery-items-too-expensive" target="_blank">grocery bill hasn't dropped</a> lately, there's a reason for that, especially if you live in Quebec.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250520/dq250520a-eng.htm?utm_source=twt&utm_medium=smo&utm_campaign=statcan-statcan-cpi-ipc" target="_blank">new Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from Statistics Canada</a>, Canada's inflation rate slowed to 1.7% in April, down from 2.3% in March. That national drop is mostly thanks to energy prices, which fell by 12.7% year over year, led by a massive 18.1% drop in gas prices. The removal of the federal carbon tax played a big role in that.</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1924843073109966865"> <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@) <a href="https://twitter.com/StatCan_fra/status/1924843073109966865"></a> </blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>But don't celebrate just yet. Not everything got cheaper, and not everywhere.</p><p>Food prices are still rising, with groceries up 3.8% compared to last April. According to StatsCan, that includes price hikes on fresh vegetables (+3.7%), beef (+16.2%), coffee and tea (+13.4%), and sugar and candy (+8.6%). This marks the third straight month where grocery inflation outpaced the overall inflation rate.</p><p>Meanwhile, Quebec is once again going against the national trend. While most provinces saw inflation cool, Quebec's rate actually went up — from 1.9% in March to 2.2% in April. That makes Quebec the only province where inflation rose last month, and the second-highest rate in Canada after the Yukon.</p><p>The main reason? <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/gas-prices-quebec-carbon-tax" target="_blank">Quebec didn't benefit from the federal carbon tax cut</a> like other provinces. Since it uses a cap-and-trade system, gas prices here only dropped by 12.1%. The federal policy change simply didn't apply, so Quebec drivers saw no real difference at the pump.</p><span></span><p>So while national inflation is slowing down, many Quebecers are still feeling the pressure, especially at the grocery store.</p><p>Curious about what shoppers are cutting back on? MTL Blog readers recently shared which everyday products have become too expensive to purchase. You can <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-grocery-items-too-expensive" target="_blank">read about their responses here</a>. </p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p> <p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p> <p><br/></p>

mingooland May 20, 2025

2 min read