OTTAWA, Nov 23 - Canada's annual rate of inflation sped up to 2.3 percent in October from 1.8 percent in September mainly due to a spike in gasoline prices, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday.
Sept 2004 to Oct 2004 Oct 2003 to Oct 2004
All items +0.2 pct +2.3 pct
All items ex food/energy 0.0 pct +1.0 pct
CPIX (Bank of Canada core) 0.0 pct +1.4 pct
Gasoline +4.8 pct +20.3 pct
(Analysts had forecast, on average, that the annual rate of inflation would speed up to 2.3 percent in October and that the Bank of Canada's measure of core inflation would remain unchanged from September at 1.5 percent.) ()