The Missing Middle Podcast The Inflation Number You Hear vs. The One You Feel
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Apr 1, 2026 They unpack why the official inflation number can feel nothing like your grocery bill or rent. They explore shrinkflation, subtle quality cuts, and which categories have jumped most. They explain how different spending patterns and housing situations create wildly different inflation experiences for different people.
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How The Official Inflation Number Is Constructed
- Official inflation is a weighted average based on a representative spending basket tracked over time.
- StatsCan updates item weights and adjusts for size and quality changes before blending categories into a single CPI number.
Personal Spending Baskets Drive Different Inflation Experiences
- Different families face different inflation because their personal spending baskets vary widely across things like daycare, travel, and housing.
- Categories such as food and shelter hurt lower-income Canadians more because they take a larger share of paychecks.
Which CPI Categories Have Risen Most Since 2002
- Since 2002, alcohol/tobacco/cannabis and food rose fastest, while recreation, education, and reading rose little and clothing saw deflation.
- That pattern means consumers spending more on food and rent have been disproportionately hurt.