Households in Canada are currently facing the highest level of inflation seen in a whole generation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for the month of April was just released by Statistics Canada (Stats Can). The agency places the recent acceleration, which sent growth to the highest level since the early 1990s, on the shoulders of the need for food and shelter. Although there are those who are predicting that growth has reached its peak, leading analysts on Wall Street do not see this happening in the upcoming report.

The inflation rate in Canada has reached 6.8 percent, marking its highest level since 1991.

The annual rate of inflation in Canada went up once more, although the rate of increase was lower than in recent months. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) grew at an annual rate of 6.8 percent in April, up just 0.1 points from the previous month. It had the highest read count ever recorded, dating back to September 1991. To put it another way, if you are under the age of 30, you have never witnessed how your cost of living has increased.

Inflation in Canada was Driven by the Cost of Food and Shelter During the Past Month

According to Stat Can, the majority of the most recent increase can be attributed to increases in the cost of food and housing. Food prices rose by 9.7 percent in April, marking the period since September 1981 during which they have increased at the fastest rate. According to the agency, this marked the fifth consecutive month in which the food component scored more than 5 points. As a result of disruptions in the supply chain, including restrictions on exports, it is not likely to drop anytime soon.

The majority of Canadians are aware that the cost of housing is going up, but the increase in CPI is not due to the reason you might think it is. The agency reported that the annual rate of inflation for housing costs reached its highest level since 1983 in the month of April, reaching 7.4 percent. The majority of the increases can be attributed to higher fuel costs, such as those for heating and cooling. The costs of home replacement for homeowners are also climbing at a lofty rate of 13.0 percent, which is a proxy for new homes.

“The prior boom in home prices is now aggressively working its way into CPI, with new home prices and “other owned accommodation expenses” (mostly real estate fees) the two single biggest drivers last month,” said Douglas Porter, Chief Economist at BMO.

The Next Inflation Report Is Expected to Show Rapid Acceleration

In April, the annual growth rate only increased by 0.1 points, which is a tenth of the increase in CPI that was seen in March. Although this may point to a moderation in future expansion, the consensus on Bay Street this morning is not to that effect.

BMO Capital Markets issued a warning to its clients that the relatively slow month was just a temporary blip. According to Porter's explanation, “… this is the relative calm before another downpour in next month’s report, as gasoline prices are tracking a double-digit increase for May alone.”

Additionally, the National Bank of Canada (NBF) issued a warning that the tight labour market poses a threat to inflation. According to Matthieu Arseneau, the deputy chief economist at the National Bank of Canada (NBF), “In an environment where the labor market is extremely tight with the unemployment rate at a record low, workers are well-positioned to ask for compensation, which should translate into relatively high inflation in services,”

In addition, “For these reasons, the Central Bank must continue its fast-paced process of normalizing interest rates, which are still far too accommodating for the economic situation.”