Manitoba shares the top spot for the highest inflation rate in Canada alongside Nova Scotia, with escalating food prices being a key contributing factor. According to the latest data from Statistics Canada released on Tuesday, the overall inflation rate surged by 4.3 per cent in both Manitoba and Nova Scotia over the past year. This increase outpaces the national inflation rate of 2.8 per cent, which was influenced partly by the ongoing conflict in Iran driving up costs.
Professor Sylvain Charlebois, the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, expressed concerns about the prolonged Iranian conflict potentially leading to higher grocery prices. He highlighted the significant impact of elevated energy costs on servicing markets like the Prairies.
Statistics Canada’s data reveals that Manitoba experienced the highest food inflation rate among all provinces between April 2025 and April 2026, standing at 4.9 per cent — approximately one percentage point above the national average. Property taxes in Manitoba also saw a substantial increase of over 19 per cent, surpassing the next-highest province, British Columbia, which saw an 8.5 per cent rise.
The breakdown of food expenses in Manitoba shows that the province led in cost increases for food purchased from stores, as well as for fruits, including packaged fruits and nuts. Additionally, Manitoba ranked second highest in inflation rates for fish, seafood, and other marine products.
While meat prices in Manitoba experienced a notable increase, they were relatively lower compared to several other provinces. The price of meat rose by 6.7 per cent in Manitoba, with fresh or frozen pork products registering the lowest increase in Canada at 5.2 per cent. On the other hand, the cost of fresh or frozen poultry decreased by 0.4 per cent in Manitoba, placing the province behind only Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan.
Charlebois highlighted the impact of transportation and trucking sectors on rising food prices, attributing the inflation to companies adjusting prices due to volatile energy costs.
Outside of grocery expenses, Manitobans faced higher costs in sectors such as clothing, footwear, electricity, and health and personal care goods. The province saw a 3.4 per cent increase in spending on clothing and footwear compared to the previous year, ranking second highest in Canada. Electricity costs in Manitoba rose by four per cent, placing the province fourth highest in the country.
In response to the escalating cost of living, Progressive Conservative finance critic Lauren Stone criticized the NDP government for allowing Manitoba to have the highest cost of living in the country. Finance Minister Adrien Sala defended the government’s efforts to address affordability challenges, including initiatives to reduce costs for Manitobans.
Sala criticized the opposition for politicizing budget issues, emphasizing the government’s commitment to delivering savings to Manitobans through tax cuts and affordability measures. Charlebois mentioned that the proposed PST cut on packaged foods could offer modest savings for Manitoba households.