The annual inflation rate edged down to 1.8% in September from 1.9% in August, Statistics Canada reported today.

Core inflation, which excludes the eight most volatile items like fruit and vegetables, gasoline and tobacco, was unchanged at 1.5%.

StatsCan said clothing prices, fuel oil and tuition fees rose during September.

The agency noted that gasoline prices at the pump were up 7.2% from a year before, but were lower than in August, continuing a four-month trend of lower pump prices.

The drop helped push energy costs down for the month as lower gasoline and natural gas prices offset increases in fuel oil.

The September inflation report contained few surprises for analysts. The total price index and core inflation rates largely matched market expectations, although the core rate came in slightly higher than expected.

But analysts said that lull in energy prices won’t last, as gasoline prices showed a big uptick in October. “This is likely to be the last sub-2% reading we get on headline inflation for quite some time, with energy prices the primary factor,” said BMO Nesbitt Burns senior economist Douglas Porter in a morning commentary.