Canada's annual inflation rate rose to 2.4 per cent in March, Statistics Canada said on Monday. High prices for energy, especially gas, due to the war in Iran drove inflation higher. Energy prices were 3.9 per cent higher compared to a year ago, and the data agency said March's 21.2 per cent monthly increase in the price of gasoline was...
There's a new cost-of-living crisis unfolding around the world. And it's clear Canada will not be immune. Gas prices are already shocking drivers. But they're just the beginning. Inflation numbers this week will assuredly show the cost of living has sharply increased since the war in Iran began at the end of February.
After weeks of sliding sentiment, Canada’s economic mood may be finding a floor. The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index edged up to 47.23 from 46.31 last week, a modest break in the downward trajectory from its 2026 high of 54.19 in late February. The Expectations Index remains subdued at 42.60, while the Pocketbook Index holds above neutral at 51.86, suggesting...
A former Bank of Canada governor is predicting Canada has about a 30 per cent chance of falling into a recession, amid growing global economic pressures. The ongoing war in the Middle East — with blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and damage to production facilities — is taking a striking toll on the global economy, sending fuel prices soaring...
'Sometimes I find Canadians don’t actually realize how good they have it,' said IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department head. The International Monetary Fund lauded Canada’s fiscal position relative to its peers as Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to give an update on his government’s finances. “Across the Group of Seven, Canada’s probably in the strongest position fiscally,” Nigel Chalk, director of...
Sobeys, Safeway owner says it's refusing to pay the charges; smaller grocers say they don't have a choice. As fuel costs rise with the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East, some food suppliers in Canada are adding fuel surcharges to deliveries to make up for their added costs. CBC News has obtained documents showing at least four suppliers — Sunrise...
Canada’s economic mood has darkened decisively. Confidence has slipped below neutral territory with weak expectations about the economy and housing. The signal maybe that Canadians are bracing for leaner months ahead.
The Bank of Canada and the country’s major banks and financial firms met Friday to discuss cybersecurity risks raised by Anthropic PBC’s latest artificial intelligence model.
Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1099 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between March 31 to April 4, 2026 as part of an omnibus survey. The sample included both land- and cell-lines across Canada. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest...
The Canadian economy is expected to see modest growth this year, but the ongoing war in the Middle East and continued trade uncertainty are among the risks to that projection.
Economists are boosting their forecasts for Canadian inflation and unemployment as the war in Iran drives up oil prices and heightens global instability. Article content Analysts in a Bloomberg survey see the consumer price index rising at a 2.4 per cent annual pace this year, up from 2.2 per cent in last month’s survey. Unemployment is expected to average 6....
This week lands between the Bank of Canada's last interest rate decision and next week's GDP report.
Canadian consumer confidence continues to slide and is moving from a somewhat positive position towards neutrality. Of note the four-week decline in consumer confidence in the Prairies has been greater than other regions.
Markets see the Bank of Canada hiking interest rates more aggressively this year amid surging oil prices and hawkish messaging from peer central banks.
The Bank of Canada held its principal interest rate at 2.25 per cent Wednesday, but warned rising oil and natural prices caused by the war in Iran will push up inflation in the short term. In its latest monetary policy decision, Canada’s top bankers painted a picture of a weaker-than-expected economy that is facing new levels of uncertainty because of...
Inflation was showing signs of easing in February but economists warn price relief will be short lived as the war in the Middle East fuels surging energy costs. Statistics Canada said Monday that February's inflation reading came in at 1.8 per cent year-over-year, half a percentage point lower than January's figures and just under economists' expectations for the month. The...
After a series of gains in consumer confidence in February, March is seeing a softening of consumer confidence in Canada as the Bloomberg-Nanos Index is returning to a trajectory towards neutral.
The Canadian economy lost more jobs in February than it has in four years — but Prime Minister Mark Carney says when compared to the United States, we're doing pretty good. "If you look at the performance of the labour market over the last six months we've created over 80,000 jobs," he said in Norway on Friday. "The United States...
Canada lost 84,000 jobs and the national unemployment rate rose to 6.7 per cent in February — 0.2 percentage points higher than the previous month, according to Statistics Canada. The Labour Force Survey for February was released Friday, and comes after January’s report showed the unemployment rate was 6.5 per cent. Those job losses were sharply lower than expected and...
Monday is the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Smith is probably the best-known and least-read economist, which explains why he is so often misunderstood. For example, if you google “Father of Capitalism,” Smith’s name pops up, but neither his Wealth of Nations nor The Theory of Moral Sentiments uses the word “capitalism.” He did not preach the...
Although consumer confidence is holding in marginally positive territory there are some interesting dynamics unfolding over the past four weeks. Forward looking expectations are up but Canadians are feeling the squeeze on job security.
Canada’s economic landscape is profoundly changing. A shifting trade environment, global efforts to reduce emissions and other structural trends are reshaping industries and job requirements. With these shifts, opportunities arise, but so do uneven risks and impacts. Certain communities are disproportionately susceptible to the workforce disruption these changes will bring. In this Policy Brief, we focus on mass layoffs and...
A sustained rise in oil prices would lift Canada’s economic growth and inflation outlook, Bank of Nova Scotia says. The war in Iran has already pushed petroleum prices higher, which may increase what Canada — a major crude-producing country — earns from exports relative to what it spends on imports.
The positive movement in consumer confidence has been primarily driven by perceptions that the Canadian economy will get stronger in the next six months. The proportion of Canadians who believe things will get better has increased from 17 to 26 percent in the past four weeks. This has coincided with a series of trade meetings initiated by Prime Minister Carney.
After a positive lift in consumer confidence last week, perceptions remain stable. The proportion of Canadians who believe the economy will get stronger in the next six months is up seven points in four weeks from 18 to 25 per cent to but still remains net negative. Although 25 per cent is an improvement, 39 per cent of Canadians still...
Over the past year, Canadians have lived through a steady drumbeat of U.S. tariff threats, economic pressure, and political tension. For some, it fades into the background. For others, it shows up every time they tap their debit card. In our latest research, I wanted to understand not just what people think about trade policy, but how this stretch of...
Statistics Canada reported an easing in the headline inflation rate Tuesday but a jump in the pace of food inflation amid tax changes and lingering pressures at the grocery store continue to put the squeeze on consumers. StatCan said Tuesday that the annual rate of inflation edged down to 2.3 per cent in January. Economists had expected inflation to hold...
Statistics Canada says lower prices at the pump and easing shelter inflation helped rein in the pressure facing consumers in January. The agency said Tuesday that the annual rate of inflation ticked down to 2.3 per cent last month. Economists had expected inflation to hold steady at 2.4 per cent. StatCan said gas prices were 16.7 per cent lower year-over-year...
Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) telephone random survey of 1,018 respondents in Canada. This report is based on the four waves of tracking ending February 13th, 2026. The margin of error for a random survey of 1,018 Canadians is ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The research was commissioned by the Bloomberg and was conducted by Nanos Research.
Economists expect tax changes from a year ago will result in a year-over-year surge in food prices when Statistics Canada reports January inflation figures later this week. StatCan will publish its January consumer price index report on Tuesday, a day later than originally scheduled. The agency recently adopted a Monday publishing schedule for the consumer price index but shifted the...
After a prolonged flatline trend, consumer confidence is up for the first time in almost six months. The Bloomberg Nanos Index is largely up on more positive sentiment related to personal finances and job security compared to four weeks ago.
Canada's unemployment rate ticked down to 6.5 per cent in January, but the economy lost 25,000 jobs, Statistics Canada said on Friday. The unemployment rate — the lowest since September 2024 — was the result of fewer people actively searching for work. The data agency also noted that the number of people who were neither employed nor looking for work...
Bank of Canada research suggests the acceleration in food inflation last year was almost entirely due to rising import costs, not domestic factors. The total annual change in food costs, excluding fruits and vegetables, was 3.1% in 2025, and 2.7 percentage points of that increase was due to direct imports, imported inputs and international shipping costs, according to research released...
Consumer confidence in Canada continues to flatline in neutral. Of note, the percentage of Canadians who believe the economy will get stronger in the next six months has hit a 10 week low.
This research gauged the opinion of Canadians on areas of spending where they would like to see more reduced costs in 2026.
The Bank of Canada held its benchmark interest rate steady Wednesday and forecasts a gradual economic recovery from the U.S. tariff shock. The policy rate remains at 2.25 per cent after the central bank’s first decision of the year. Economists had widely expected the hold.
The old world is dying and a new era of global instability beckons. But first, the groceries. "For many Canadians, the cost of groceries and everyday essentials has been too high for too long. They need more support now," Prime Minister Mark Carney conceded on Monday morning, speaking at a grocery store in Ottawa, almost exactly a week removed from...
Proposed changes to the GST credit announced Monday by Prime Minister Mark Carney should provide some relief for lower-income Canadians, but experts caution it may not account for future surges in the cost of living. Carney unveiled a 25 per cent hike to the GST credit in a temporary move set to last for five years, billed as a measure...
Canadian consumer confidence remains gripped in neutrality with a score at 50.36 points on the 100 point diffusion index. People are two and one half times more likely to believe that the Canadian economy will get weaker rather than stronger in the next six months.
Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) telephone random survey of 1,084 respondents in Canada. This report is based on the four waves of tracking ending January 16th, 2026. The margin of error for a random survey of 1,084 Canadians is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The research was commissioned by the Bloomberg and was conducted by Nanos Research.
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