A decline in the price of gasoline helped push Canada's inflation rate down to 0.7 per cent in October, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The price of gasoline was 4.3 per cent cheaper last month than a year earlier, the data agency said. All provinces saw declines, with Saskatchewan (down 8.6 per cent) recording the largest year-over-year decrease and Ontario (down 1.8 per cent) the smallest.

Besides gasoline, five of the eight categories that Statistics Canada tracks were higher, so cheaper gasoline wasn't enough to drag the overall inflation rate into negative territory.

Prices for alcohol and tobacco products saw the largest increase, but Statistics Canada said higher shelter and food costs led the rise in the consumer price index.

More to come