Canadians are visiting food banks in record-breaking numbers
According to Food Banks Canada’s 2026 HungerCount report, Canadians are relying on food banks more than ever before.
The organization’s annual study surveyed over 5,500 food banks and community organizations across the country.
Monthly food bank visits reached a staggering 2.35 million in 2026, up nine per cent from last year. It’s also a 117 per cent increase since 2019, highlighting the growing strain on households across Canada.
From coast to coast, the rising cost of groceries and other essentials is making it harder for people to make ends meet. And with a potential “super El Niño” raising concerns about more price hikes, the situation could get more challenging.
British Columbia and Alberta recorded some of the highest food bank usage in the country. B.C. reported 250,505 monthly visits in 2026, a 14 per cent increase from 2025, while Alberta saw 230,196 visits every month, a 9.3 per cent increase year-over-year.
Children are also feeling the impact. Quebec recorded 274,193 monthly visits from children, the highest in the country, while Ontario reported 253,520 monthly visits.
“These numbers reflect years of mounting pressure on household finances. Rising housing costs, insufficient housing supply, food inflation, economic uncertainty, and inadequate income supports have steadily eroded the financial resilience of millions of people across Canada,” the report states.
Single people remain the most common household type accessing food banks. Women over the age of 18 account for 53.4 per cent of food bank clients, while people from marginalized communities make up 49.9 per cent, according to the report.
“Grossly inadequate provincial social assistance” remains the most common source of income for food bank clients, according to the report. About 41 per cent of Canadians rely on social assistance or disability-related support programs as their primary source of income.
Food Banks Canada is calling on governments to “make focused commitments to support the long-term economic well-being of people in Canada.”
This includes doubling the Canada Workers benefit, removing barriers to the Disability Tax Credit, expanding funding for affordable public housing, and strengthening grocery and essentials benefits for Northern communities to reflect their higher cost of living better.
For many people living in the North, where groceries already cost significantly more than anywhere else in Canada, these changes could make a meaningful difference.
To read the complete 2026 HungerCount report, visit Food Bank Canada’s website.