Inflation at the Checkout: The Staples Driving February’s Grocery Surge
Canadian grocery prices were up 5.7 per cent in February from a year ago, according to Statistics Canada, with the biggest price increases seen across the Maritime provinces.
The new Statistics Canada data tracks average retail food prices for 105 common grocery items.
Year-over-year, the biggest price increase was seen in beef striploin cuts, with average prices jumping by $7.51 to $35.56 per kilogram in February, an increase of 26.8 per cent.
The second biggest price jump was seen in beef rib cuts, which increased by $4.91 year-over-year to reach $37.70 per kilogram, followed by beef stewing cuts, which were up $4.21 to $23.90 per kilogram.
In terms of percentage change, the biggest annual increase was seen in whole chickens, with average prices skyrocketing by 43.8 per cent to reach $8.57 per kilogram in February. This was followed by coffee, which reached $9.51 for a 340 gram package in February, a 29.9 per cent year-over-year increase.
While the prices of many grocery items increased over the past year, some saw significant decreases.
For example, cantaloupes were 28.9 per cent cheaper in February compared to a year ago, followed by olive oil with an 18.5 per cent drop, pears with a 17.9 per cent drop and oranges with a 17.6 per cent drop.
Average prices for some products – like peanut butter, mayonnaise, block cheese and brown rice – went virtually unchanged.
The 5.7 per cent annual increase in average grocery prices outpaced Canada’s rate of inflation, which stood at 1.8 per cent in February when compared to a year ago, according to Statistics Canada.
Maritimes saw biggest price jumps
While every province saw overall grocery price increases over the past year, the biggest jumps were seen in Nova Scotia (8.5 per cent), Prince Edward Island (7.2 per cent) and New Brunswick (7.0 per cent). Only three provinces saw increases below the national average: Alberta (5.1 per cent), British Columbia (4.5 per cent) and Quebec (3.9 per cent).
If you filled a shopping cart with all 105 grocery items flagged by Statistics Canada, your bill would be the highest in Newfoundland and Labrador ($743.69) and the cheapest in Ontario ($690.93) – a $52.76 difference. In February 2026, Ontario was also the only province to sit below the national shopping cart average of $692.50.
Full data was not available for the three territories, which typically have higher grocery prices than the rest of the country.
While average grocery prices were down a slight 0.3 per cent nationwide in February when compared to January 2026, they are widely expected to rise again. As the Iran war drives up global oil prices, food costs are projected to continue increasing as consumers absorb higher transportation costs.
Statistics Canada urges caution when comparing average grocery prices over time.
“Factors such as product rotation, quality and quantity changes, and shifting consumer preferences can contribute to price differences from one month to another,” the federal agency explained.
This article was first reported by CTV News
