OTTAWA, July 17 (Xinhua)-- Canada's inflation rate fell to 2 percent in June from 2.4 percent in May due to a precipitous drop in energy prices, the country's national statistical agency said Wednesday.
The oil prices in the country have fallen by 9.1 percent on a year-over-year basis and the price of fuel oil and other fuels has decreased 4.1 percent over that same period, according to Statistics Canada.
Oil prices dipped amid rising U.S. fuel inventories and the elimination of carbon pricing in Alberta, which is the oil-producing province in Canada.
Meanwhile, the purchase of passenger vehicles index rose 3 percent on a year-over-year basis in June, following a 4.2 percent increase in May.
According to the agency, Canadian consumers are paying more for fresh vegetables, whose prices were up 17.3 percent in June, the largest increase seen since January 2016. It was attributable in part to inclement weather in agricultural regions.
