While the rest of Canada saw inflation of 1.2% between December 2012 and December 2013, British Columbia was the lone province to report no change in consumer prices over the year.
The repeal of the HST in April 2013 kept prices lower over the remainder of the year as some products and services were either no longer taxable or were taxed at 5% compared with 12% prior to the change.
The increase nationwide was mostly due to a 4.7% increase in gasoline prices over the last year. When gas prices are excluded, inflation was 1.1%.
Other components driving inflation in Canada were increases in the costs of transportation (up 2.1%), shelter (up 1.0%) and food (up 1.0%). The cost of health care and personal care declined 0.4%.
Compared with November, consumer prices fell in both B.C. (down 0.3%) and across the country (down 0.2%). Prince Edward Island saw the biggest drop with 0.5%. Prices in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick saw no change over that period.
