How much have courier prices in Canada risen since 2019?
Canada's courier and messenger price index rose from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026, a rise of 62.0% computed by Deploi from Statistics Canada data. Updated October 18, 2026.
By Martin DejnickiUpdated Data through August 2026
Short answer
Statistics Canada's couriers and messengers price index (2019 = 100) rose from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026, a rise of 62.0% computed by Deploi, according to table 18-10-0275-01, released September 29, 2026. The index stepped up from 147.2 in March 2026 to 161.6 in April 2026. The table gives no reason for that rise.
Canada's courier price index rose from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026
Couriers and messengers services price index (NAICS 492), Canada, 2019 = 100, selected months from January 2019 to August 2026
- The index is set to 100 for 2019, so values read as prices relative to 2019.
- The dataset holds January of each year from 2019 to 2026 plus December 2025, March 2026, April 2026 and August 2026; the line joins these points and does not show the months between.
- Statistics Canada's table gives no reason for the April 2026 rise, and this chart does not offer one.
- The narrower couriers index (NAICS 4921), in the data table, was 166.8 in August 2026.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 18-10-0275-01 Couriers and messengers services price index, monthly, released September 29, 2026. Read on .
What this means for your decision
- Repricing the shipping charged to customers? Statistics Canada's couriers and messengers price index rose 62.0% from January 2019 to August 2026, to 160.5, a rise computed by Deploi. Use it to test whether the store's shipping charges have kept pace since 2019. It tracks sector prices, so do not assume the store's own carrier costs rose by the same amount.
- Reacting to the April 2026 step? The index rose 9.8% from March to April 2026, to 161.6, and was 160.5 in August 2026. The table gives no reason for the rise, so do not attribute it to a cause without a source.
- Changing carriers? The index is not a carrier's rate card or a merchant's contract rate. Compare carriers on the store's own invoices and written quotes, and use the index only as context for how far prices have moved.
- Picking the series for courier parcels? The narrower couriers index rose 68.3% to 166.8 over the same span and is the closer measure for parcels sent by courier. The dataset holds January readings plus four other months, so do not read moves between those points.
- Reviewing shipping rates on a Shopify store? For help reviewing shipping rates and carrier setup, contact Deploi.
How has the courier price index moved since January 2019?
Statistics Canada's couriers and messengers price index rose from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026, a rise of 62.0% computed by Deploi, according to table 18-10-0275-01, released September 29, 2026. The index is set to 100 for 2019. The dataset holds January of each year plus four other months, so the chart joins selected points.
January readings were 103.3 in 2020, 102.1 in 2021, 115.4 in 2022, 133.4 in 2023, 134.1 in 2024, 142.6 in 2025 and 143.2 in 2026. The line joins these points and does not show the months between.
When did courier prices rise fastest?
Among January readings, courier prices rose fastest from January 2021 to January 2023, when the index went from 102.1 to 115.4 and then 133.4, according to Statistics Canada table 18-10-0275-01. That is 13.0% and 15.6% a year, computed by Deploi. January 2024 was 134.1, and January 2025 was 142.6, a rise of 6.3%.
From January 2025 to January 2026 the index rose from 142.6 to 143.2, or 0.4%. The larger move of 2026 came within the year, in April.
What happened to courier prices in April 2026?
The couriers and messengers index rose from 147.2 in March 2026 to 161.6 in April 2026, a rise of 9.8% computed by Deploi, then eased to 160.5 in August 2026, according to Statistics Canada table 18-10-0275-01, released September 29, 2026. The table gives no reason for the April rise, and Deploi offers none.
The index was 144.2 in December 2025 and 143.2 in January 2026 before March's 147.2. Any explanation for the April step needs a source that this dataset does not hold.
Does the narrower couriers index tell a different story?
The narrower couriers index was 166.8 in August 2026, up from 99.1 in January 2019, according to Statistics Canada table 18-10-0275-01, released September 29, 2026. It rose a computed 68.3%, against 62.0% for the wider couriers and messengers index. Both stepped up in April 2026, to 168.1 and 161.6.
The narrower index covers couriers alone, inside the wider couriers and messengers group. Both series are in the data table.
Does the index equal what a merchant pays to ship?
The index measures changes in prices for courier and messenger services as Statistics Canada records them, 160.5 in August 2026 against 100 for 2019, and does not measure what any one merchant pays a carrier. Contract rates, surcharges and volume discounts differ by merchant, and the table holds none of them, according to Statistics Canada table 18-10-0275-01.
Use the index to judge the direction of shipping prices in Canada since 2019. To judge a carrier's offer, compare it with the merchant's own invoices.
The data
Each chart on this page is drawn from the numbers below. Units are in the column headers.
| Month | Couriers and messengers (index, 2019 = 100) | Couriers (index, 2019 = 100) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2019 | 99.1 | 99.1 |
| Jan 2020 | 103.3 | 103.9 |
| Jan 2021 | 102.1 | 102.2 |
| Jan 2022 | 115.4 | 116.7 |
| Jan 2023 | 133.4 | 135.9 |
| Jan 2024 | 134.1 | 136.6 |
| Jan 2025 | 142.6 | 146.5 |
| Dec 2025 | 144.2 | 148.6 |
| Jan 2026 | 143.2 | 147.3 |
| Mar 2026 | 147.2 | 151.8 |
| Apr 2026 | 161.6 | 168.1 |
| Aug 2026 | 160.5 | 166.8 |
Download Couriers and messengers services price index, Canada (2019 = 100), selected months as CSV · All 4 columns on the dataset page
Methodology
Reading the chart: Canada's courier price index rose from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026
- The index is set to 100 for 2019, so values read as prices relative to 2019.
- The dataset holds January of each year from 2019 to 2026 plus December 2025, March 2026, April 2026 and August 2026; the line joins these points and does not show the months between.
- Statistics Canada's table gives no reason for the April 2026 rise, and this chart does not offer one.
- The narrower couriers index (NAICS 4921), in the data table, was 166.8 in August 2026.
Caveats: Couriers and messengers services price index, Canada (2019 = 100), selected months
- The dataset holds selected months, not the full monthly series. A line through these points does not show the months between.
- The index measures price changes for courier and messenger services as Statistics Canada records them. It is not a carrier's rate card or a merchant's contract rate.
- Statistics Canada's table gives no reason for the rise between March 2026 and April 2026, and Deploi offers none.
- The index is set to 100 for 2019, so values read as prices relative to 2019.
Deploi's charts and compilation are licensed CC BY 4.0. The underlying facts belong to their sources, which are named on every page. How Deploi Shopify Data works.
Sources
Tier A sources are primary documents: filings, official releases and official price pages. How sources are ranked.
- Tier A
Cite and reuse
Deploi's charts and compilation are licensed CC BY 4.0. The underlying facts belong to their sources, which are named on every page.
APA
Deploi. (2026). How much have courier prices in Canada risen since 2019? [Web page]. https://deploi.ca/shopify/data/canada-courier-price-increases Retrieved October 18, 2026.
BibTeX
@misc{deploi_canada_courier_price_increases_2026,
author = {{Deploi}},
title = {How much have courier prices in Canada risen since 2019?},
year = {2026},
url = {https://deploi.ca/shopify/data/canada-courier-price-increases},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18}
}Embed this chart
Embed code
<iframe src="https://deploi.ca/embed/shopify/data/canada-courier-price-index" title="Canada's courier price index rose from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026" loading="lazy" style="width:100%;height:530px;border:0"></iframe> <p style="font:12px/1.4 Arial,sans-serif;margin:4px 0 0">Source: <a href="https://deploi.ca/shopify/data/canada-courier-price-increases#chart-canada-courier-price-index">Deploi, Canada's courier price index rose from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026</a></p>
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Questions
How much have courier prices increased in Canada since 2019?
Statistics Canada's couriers and messengers price index rose 62.0% from 99.1 in January 2019 to 160.5 in August 2026, according to table 18-10-0275-01, released September 29, 2026. Deploi computed the rise from the two index values.
What was the courier price index in August 2026?
The couriers and messengers price index was 160.5 in August 2026, with 2019 set to 100, according to Statistics Canada table 18-10-0275-01, released September 29, 2026. The narrower couriers index was 166.8.
Why did courier prices jump in April 2026?
Statistics Canada's table 18-10-0275-01 gives no reason for the rise. The couriers and messengers index went from 147.2 in March 2026 to 161.6 in April 2026, a rise of 9.8% computed by Deploi, and stood at 160.5 in August 2026.
What does 2019 = 100 mean in the courier price index?
The index is set to 100 for 2019, so values read as prices relative to 2019: 160.5 in August 2026, according to Statistics Canada table 18-10-0275-01, against 99.1 in January 2019, just under the 2019 level.
Does the courier price index show what my store pays for shipping?
No. The index measures price changes for courier and messenger services as recorded by Statistics Canada, 160.5 in August 2026. It is not a carrier's rate card or any merchant's contract rate, so it shows direction and not the bill.
More on Canada
- At what value do duties and taxes apply to a parcel shipped into Canada, by origin country?
Courier parcels from the US or Mexico enter Canada free of duty and tax up to C$40, and parcels from other origins up to C$20, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. Updated October 18, 2026.
- How big is Canadian retail ecommerce, and what share of retail sales is online?
Retail ecommerce was 7.0% of Canada's retail sales in 2025, or C$59.2 billion, according to Statistics Canada's monthly retail trade data released September 24, 2026. Updated October 18, 2026.
- How large is the Quebec market compared with the rest of Canada, and does it justify a French storefront?
Quebec accounted for 22.2% of Canada's retail sales in 2025, second to Ontario, according to Statistics Canada, and 74.8% of its residents had French as their only mother tongue in the 2021 Census. Updated October 18, 2026.
- Is Shopify growing faster in Canada than Canadian ecommerce is?
Shopify's revenue from Canada grew 46.1% in US dollars from fiscal 2023 to 2025, against 31.4% in Canadian dollars for Canadian retail ecommerce, according to Shopify's Form 10-K and Statistics Canada. Updated October 18, 2026.
- When in the year do Canadians shop online, and how big is the November-December peak?
November and December brought in 21.5% of Canada's retail ecommerce sales in 2025, according to Statistics Canada monthly data released September 24, 2026. Updated October 18, 2026.
- Which markets do Canadian online retailers sell to: Canada only, the US, or further?
In 2023, 19.8% of Canadian retail trade enterprises with online sales sold to the United States, against 97.0% that sold in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. Updated October 18, 2026.
Changes
- · Couriers and messengers services price index, Canada (2019 = 100), selected months
First release on October 18, 2026.