Here's what Canadians are paying more for at the grocery store
Statistics Canada released the latest inflation numbers, giving shoppers a look at just how expensive their grocery bill could get during the holidays.
The government agency revealed the November 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) last Friday. According to the data, inflation rose 2.2 per cent on a year-over-year basis last month, matching the increase in October.
While prices for services, travel, and accommodations, and rent rose at a slower pace in November compared to October, StatsCan stated that higher prices for goods offset the slowdown.
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The report suggested that this was “driven by price increases for groceries as well as a smaller decline for gasoline prices.”
StatsCan found that food prices at grocery stores rose 4.7 per cent in November compared to the same time last year. This is a 1.3 per cent increase in inflation from October.
“The increase in November was the largest since December 2023 (+4.7 per cent). The main contributors to the acceleration in November 2025 were fresh fruit (+4.4 per cent), led by higher prices for berries, and other food preparations (+6.6 per cent),” reads the report.
The agency pointed out that in November, prices for fresh or frozen beef (+17.7 per cent) and coffee (+27.8 per cent) continued to be significant contributors to overall grocery inflation on an annual basis.
“Higher beef prices have been driven, in part, by lower cattle inventories in North America,” reads the report. “Coffee prices have been impacted by adverse weather conditions in growing regions and rose amid American tariffs on coffee-producing countries, which have contributed to higher prices for refined coffee.”
According to the report, grocery prices rose 1.9 per cent in November on a monthly basis, which is the largest month-over-month increase since January 2023.
Which food items were the main culprits for the increase in grocery price inflation? StatsCan found that sugar and confectionery were the top contributors to food inflation, with a 10 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.
Statistics Canada
They were followed by other food preparations (6.6 per cent), non-alcoholic beverages (4.6 per cent), and fresh fruit (4.4 per cent).
Bakery products also rose in price significantly by four per cent year-over-year. So, it looks like the holiday baked goods and sweets are going to be a little pricier this year.
This data comes after the Dalhousie Agri-food Analytics Lab released Canada’s Food Price Report (CFPR) 2026, which revealed that Canadian families’ grocery bills will cost over $17,000 next year.