Food insecurity and poverty in Canada: Highlights from the Canadian Income Survey

Summary

On April 29, 2026, Statistics Canada released new data from the 2024 Canadian Income Survey (CIS), showing food insecurity and poverty are persistent challenges. In 2025, nearly 10 million people across Canada struggled to afford enough food, declining marginally by 1.7% from the previous year. The data also shows that 4.5 million people lived below the poverty line in 2024, roughly similar to 2023.

Insufficient income growth, affordability pressures, and gaps in public supports continue to drive more households into financial hardship. The burden is not shared equally—Indigenous, Black, and racialized peoples, single parents, newcomers, people with disabilities, and working-age adults with low incomes—are hardest hit.
These findings underscore the urgent need for lasting action—public policies that put more money in people’s pockets and actually reduce food insecurity for good. It’s time for bold leadership from the federal government!

Food insecurity in 2025: 1 in 4 people affected

While food insecurity declined nominally in 2025 after a three-year steady spike, the rates remain some of the highest in Canadian history. One in four people continue to experience some level of hunger and deep anxiety about food access. The numbers declined slightly in every province and territory except Manitoba (27.9%). Despite modest decreases, Nunavut (56.4%), Alberta (28.4%), and New Brunswick (28.2%) recorded the top three highest rates, while Quebec remained the lowest (18%) in the country.

Here’s the breakdown below; an arrow (⬆️) means the trend went up.

Across Canada

• About 9.8 million people (24%) struggled to afford food in 2025, a slight decline from 10.1 million (25.7%) in 2024
  • Severe: 2.3 million (5.6%), down from 2.5 million (6.3%)
  • Moderate: 4.8 million (11.9%), down from 4.9 million (12.5%)
  • Marginal: 2.7 million (6.5%), unchanged from the year prior

Atlantic Canada

• Overall: 26.5%, down from 29.5%
• Newfoundland & Labrador: 25.5%, down from 30.6%
• Prince Edward Island: 23.3%, down from 24.4%
• Nova Scotia: 26.2%, down from 29.8%
• New Brunswick: 28.2%, down from 29.6%

Quebec

• 18%, down from 19.9%

Ontario

• 25.4%, down from 26.5%

Prairies

• Overall: 28%, down from 30%
• Manitoba: 27.9%, up from 25.3% ⬆️
• Saskatchewan: 26.7%, down from 30.5%
• Alberta: 28.4%, down from 31.3%

British Columbia

• 23.2%, down from 24.5%

Territories

• Overall: 28.3%, down from 37.1%
• Yukon: 15.5%, down from 18.5%
• Northwest Territories: 16.4%, down from 34.3%
• Nunavut: 56.4%, down from 61.2%

Who is being hit hardest

• People in single parent families: 44.4%, down from 48.3%
  • 47.4% for women-led households, down from 52.7%
• People in couple families with kids: 27.3%, down from 28.8%
• Adults (18–64) living alone: 30.4%, down from 31.8%
• Seniors (65+) living alone: 13%, down from 14.3%

Highest-risk groups

• Indigenous people (off-reserve): 34.7%, down from 40.1%
• Indigenous population ages 15 and older: 34.7%, down from 40%
  • First Nations: 39.1%, up from 38.5% ⬆️
  • Métis: 28.7%, down from 39.8%
  • Inuit: 50.3%, down from 61.6%
• Racialized people: 30.4%, down from 32.4%
  • Black: 41.3%, down from 47%
  • Arab: 36.6%, up from 31.6% ⬆️
  • Filipino: 32.8%, down from 37%
• Children: 2.4 million (30.8%), down from 2.5 million (33%)
• Newcomers ages 15 and older: 26.8%, down from 27.6%
  • Immigrated in the last 5 years: 30.2%, down from 34.9%
  • Immigrated in the last 10 years: 30.8%, down from 34.7%

Poverty in 2024: 1 in 9 people are falling behind

While there were slight declines in poverty in 2024, nearly 4.5 million people still live below the poverty line in Canada. Most regions saw a fall in poverty rates, with only Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Nunavut seeing an increase. Quebec had the lowest rate (7%), while Nunavut (31.7%) and Ontario (12.5%) had the top two highest rates. Many people are being trapped in poverty, and robust policy interventions are urgently needed.

Across Canada

• About 4.5 million people (11%) lived in poverty in 2024, relatively unchanged from 4.4 million (11.1%) in 2023

Atlantic Canada

• Overall: 10.4%, down from 11.5%
• Newfoundland & Labrador: 10.4%, down from 11.3%
• Prince Edward Island: 10%, roughly similar to the previous year
• Nova Scotia: 10.9%, down from 12.3%
• New Brunswick: 9.9%, down from 11%

Quebec

• Lowest in the country: 7%, down from 7.7%

Ontario

• 12.5%, unchanged from the year prior

Prairies

• Overall: 11.4%, up from 10.9% ⬆️
• Manitoba: 12.3%, up from 11.9% ⬆️
• Saskatchewan: 11.6%, down from 12.6%
• Alberta: 11%, up from 10.2% ⬆️

British Columbia

13%, up from 12.8% ⬆️

Territories

• Overall: 17.3%, down from 19%
• Yukon: 11.8%, roughly similar to the year prior
• Northwest Territories: 10%, down from 16.5%
• Nunavut: 31.7%, up from 30.3% ⬆️

Who is being hit hardest

Families and living situations

• Kids in single-mother families: 29.7%, down from 30.7%
• Kids in two-parent families with children: 8.4%, down from 9.1%
• People living alone: 26.4%, up from 26.2% ⬆️
  • Working-age adults living alone: 33.3%, up from 32.4% ⬆️
  • Seniors living alone: 11.1%, down from 12.5%

Groups facing higher risk

• Indigenous people (off-reserve): 17.9%, down from 18.8%
• Indigenous people ages 15 and older: 18.1%, down from 19.1%.
  • First Nations: 22%, down from 22.7%
  • Métis: 12.5%, down from 13.7%
  • Inuit: 25.3%, down from 29.4%
• Racialized people: 15.5%, about the same as the year prior
  • Arab: 21.7%, up from 16.9%. ⬆️
  • Chinese: 19%, up from 18.4% ⬆️
  • Black: 16.4%, down from 16.8%
• People with disabilities: 12.6%, down from 12.8% but still above the national rate.
  • In economic families: 7.7%, down from 8.2%.
  • Single and living alone: 29.5%, up from 28.6% ⬆️
• Newcomers ages 15 and older: 12.3%, about the same as in 2023.
  • Immigrated in the last 5 years: 17.3%, down from 18.8%
  • Immigrated in the last 10 years: 15.9%, down from 16.4%
• Children: 11.5%, down from 12.1%.
• Adults ages 18–64: 12.6%, up from 12.4% ⬆️
• Seniors: 5.4%, down from 5.9%.

What’s pushing people to the edge?

1. Incomes aren’t keeping up

• Paychecks aren’t rising fast enough to help people afford the basics.
• Many people are stuck in low-paying or unstable jobs.
• Even full-time work isn’t enough to afford basic needs.

2. The cost of living keeps climbing

• Food prices are still going up while rent and housing are at record highs.
• Even as inflation slows, everything still costs more.

3. Support systems are falling short

• Current benefits are too low and don’t cover real costs.
• New programs—like the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB)—are being created to help, but they’re also too small to make a real difference

4. The economy is tightening

• Fewer people are finding steady work; many are incurring debt to make ends meet.
• The housing crisis isn’t letting up, leaving many with barely enough money for food and other basics after paying their rent or mortgages.
• US tariffs are pushing prices higher and squeezing household budgets further.

What needs to happen now

These trends point to a deepening crisis. We urgently call on the federal government to:

• Set national targets to:
  • Reduce food insecurity by 50% and eliminate severe cases by 2030.
  • Drive accountability, coordination, and measurable progress.
• Strengthen income supports:
  • Make the CGEB permanent, increase benefit levels, improve targeting for low-income adults (especially 18–64), and account for northern costs.
  • Enhance the Canada Disability Benefit by increasing the amount, expanding eligibility and access to the benefit, and simplifying application systems.
• Advance Indigenous food sovereignty:
  • Fund salaried land-based roles (hunters, fishers, knowledge keepers).
  • Provide long-term, flexible funding for Indigenous-led food systems.

Bottom line

The CIS data confirm what communities across Canada already know: we have a serious and structural crisis when it comes to food insecurity and poverty in Canada. And this has been the case for years. More and more people are struggling to afford the basics. No one is untouched, but some are hit much harder. This is an urgent, national crisis.

Canada has the tools to reverse these trends. What is needed now is policy action at scale, focused on strengthening income and advancing Indigenous food sovereignty to ensure everyone can afford food, housing, and a decent life.