Ontario residents will soon get a chance to ask their burning questions about rising grocery costs and inflation directly to the experts.
Statistics Canada is hosting a live “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Reddit on Tuesday, June 25 at 1:30 p.m., giving Canadians the opportunity to engage with data experts on inflation trends, especially those affecting food prices.
The AMA comes amid ongoing concern about grocery affordability. In its most recent update, StatsCan reported that while food price inflation has slowed, the financial burden on households remains. Grocery prices rose 2.2 per cent in 2024, down from 7.8 per cent in 2023, but still higher than average pre-pandemic trends. In fact, households spent 7.4 per cent more on food in 2023 compared to 2021, a sign that food continues to take a larger share of Canadian budgets.
Poor growing conditions, rising input and transportation costs, and pandemic-era supply chain disruptions all contributed to price hikes across nearly all fresh food categories in 2023. Even though prices stabilized in 2024, many consumers have responded by shifting their shopping habits—frequenting warehouse clubs, discount retailers, and value-focused supercentres.
Meanwhile, food sales at health and personal care retailers like pharmacies and supplement stores declined by $261.9 million in 2024, reflecting a shift toward lower-priced, higher-volume food sources.
StatsCan also noted a drop in alcohol sales from 2023 to 2024 across all retail channels, including provincial liquor stores, which may indicate broader shifts in consumer spending under inflationary pressure.
Canada’s overall inflation rate also fell to 1.7 per cent in April 2025, down from 2.3 per cent in March, largely due to lower energy prices and the elimination of the consumer carbon tax. Still, food inflation remains a key issue for many households.
For those interested in what drives these trends—or simply wondering why lettuce still costs more than it used to—the Reddit AMA offers a direct line to Canada’s top data minds.