The CPI rose 0.7% in 2020 on an average annual basis, following an increase of 1.9% in 2019. In 2020, the CPI rose at the slowest pace since 2009, during the economic downturn. Slowing inflation was mostly attributable to a decline in consumer spending related to protective measures to restrict movement and encourage physical distancing during the pandemic. Excluding gasoline, the annual average CPI rose 1.3% in 2020.