New data shows persistent food insecurity

New data released today by Statistics Canada shows persistent food insecurity across the country.

Nearly 10 million people — including 2.4 million children — are now living in households that struggle to afford food. This includes 34.7% of Indigenous Peoples and 41% of Black people reflecting systemic discrimination and inequities.

Although there was a slight decline in the share of individuals living in food-insecure households from 2024 to 2025, the 2025 figures remain among the highest recorded over the past two decades of tracking.

Working with a network of more than 450 organizations, we know the food insecurity crisis is extraordinarily high. It is unacceptable for 2.4 million children to grow up hungry. The persistence of food insecurity is not surprising. It has persisted for many years driven by a core issue: incomes that are too low to keep up with the cost of living, and food systems that don’t work for Indigenous peoples, particularly in Northern and remote communities.

In a country as wealthy as Canada, this level of hardship is unacceptable. People are not food insecure because they lack knowledge or ingenuity — they are food insecure because of inadequate incomes and poor policy choices.

“No one should be struggling to afford the basics in Canada,” said Nick Saul, CEO of Right To Food.

Rising food and fuel costs aren’t just stretching budgets. They are forcing households to make harder choices with less room to maneuver. More families are relying on credit to cover basic needs, and for those with the lowest incomes, both housing and food are becoming increasingly unstable. These pressures are even more severe in Northern and remote communities where costs are significantly higher.

What may look like a modest increase on paper can quickly unravel a household’s ability to get by.

“Global volatility is only adding to the pressure,” said Jasmine Ramze Rezaee, Director of Policy and Community Action at Right To Food.

Strengthening federal and provincial income supports, improving access to benefits, and investing in Indigenous food sovereignty initiatives are proven ways to reduce food insecurity.

Concrete solutions are also outlined in Right To Food’s 2026 pre-budget submission.

While the Spring Economic Update introduced some targeted affordability measures, the government’s response does not yet match the scale of the challenge reflected in today’s data. Incremental steps will not be enough to reverse a crisis that is growing in both depth and severity.

Today’s data is a clear signal that efforts to reduce food insecurity are not working. Right To Food calls on the federal government to treat food insecurity as a national priority and invest in targeted measures that directly support household incomes.

More on the latest Statistics Canada food insecurity data