A new report from Food Banks Canada says poverty and hunger are ‘normalizing’ in Canada.
Officials also say without bold legislative action, volunteers and donations alone can’t keep pace with what they say is a ‘relentless soaring need’.
The report says visits to Canada’s food banks hit close to 2.2 million in March.
That’s up 5% from last year and has doubled since 2019.
“Canada’s HungerCount is relentlessly growing in the wrong direction,” says Kirstin Beardsley, Food Banks Canada CEO. “We cannot build a strong Canada when our neighbours are hungry. If we prioritize resources and invest in the policies that matter most, we can build a Canada where everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.”
The organization of 5,500 food banks across Canada makes several recommendations, including:
- Tackling the root causes of poverty: Modernize the EI system, by expanding support for precarious, gig and self-employed workers; and repair Canada’s outdated social safety net, including enhancing the Canada Disability Benefit
- Making life more affordable: Invest in housing supply and demand, that includes rental assistance; and introduce a Groceries and Essentials Benefit targeted at Canadians who have low incomes
- Addressing Northern food insecurity: Redesign Nutrition North in partnership with Indigenous communities; and transform existing tax deductions to provide more financial relief for those in the North who live with a higher cost of living
Quick facts from Food Banks Canada:
- Nearly 1-in-5 food bank clients (19.4%) are employed, compared to just over 1-in-10 (12.2%) in 2019.
- One-third (33%) of food bank clients are children – representing nearly 712,000 monthly visits in 2025, up by over 300,000 monthly visits compared to 2019.
- Nearly 1-in-4 households (23.1%) who rely on food banks are two parent families, compared to 18.8% in 2019.
- 70% of food bank clients live in market rent housing.
- 8.3% of food bank clients in Canada are seniors – up from 6.8% in 2019.
