OVERALL FINDINGS

In March 2024, there were over 2 million visits to food banks in Canada — the highest number in history.

Food bank visits in March 2024 are at an unprecedented level, surpassing even last year’s record-breaking number. This record level of usage is consistent with record high rates of food insecurity and reflects findings from other recent studies showing greater numbers of people experiencing economic hardship.

This year’s food bank usage represents a 90% increase compared to March 2019, and there are signs that the food banking system is reaching its absolute limit.

The rate of growth in the last five years far surpasses anything ever experienced by the network at a national level. The increased rate of change in usage since last year is just over 6%, and food banks are struggling to continue meeting the sustained elevated demand. This year’s increase is happening against the backdrop of the ongoing affordability crisis and an uptick in unemployment rates, including a significant increase in unemployment rates among recent newcomers than in previous years.

The one-two punch of housing and food inflation hits those with low incomes hardest.

While the effects of high food inflation are inflicting particular pain during weekly trips to the grocery store, the relentless and non-negotiable force of housing inflation is amplifying the affordability crisis for those in the lowest income groups. People with the lowest incomes, which includes those receiving provincial social assistance, spend over 80% of their disposable income on food and housing alone. As non-negotiable costs such as rent absorb more and more of this group’s disposable income, food takes a backseat and the likelihood of needing a food bank increases.

One third of food bank clients are children.

The proportion of children under 18 accessing food banks continues to hold steady at 33% of food bank clients; however, given the growth of food bank usage since the pre-pandemic period, that 33% now represents nearly 700,000 visits — an increase of over 300,000 visits per month compared to five years ago. In addition, there has been a concurrent significant increase in two-parent households with children under 18 accessing food banks — this group has grown from representing 18.8% of food bank visits in 2019 to nearly 23% in 2024. Two-parent families that access food banks are more likely to live in larger urban areas of 100,000 or more, thus contributing to the higher number of visits in those areas.

18% of food bank clients report employment as their main source of income, compared to 12% in 2019.

The proportion of food bank clients whose main source of income comes from employment is now at an all-time high of 18.1%, surpassing last year’s 16.7%. Historically, the figure for this group hovered between 10% and 12%, but it began to increase in 2022, when the impacts of rapid inflation took effect. This year, the cumulative impact of inflation has further eroded the purchasing power of people in employment, including many whose incomes are above the official poverty line.

Nearly 70% of food bank clients live in market rent housing.

Market rentals are the most consistent housing type for households that access food banks, representing 69.5% of all housing tenure arrangements. The proportion of food bank visitors who are in market rent housing is highest among people under 45, racialized groups, and people who have been in Canada for less than 10 years. Food bank visitors who live in market rental units are also more likely to live in larger population centres of 100,000 people or more.

Grossly inadequate provincial social assistance remains the most common source of income for food bank clients.

Provincial social assistance, which includes both the general welfare and provincial disability support income streams, is the primary source of income for nearly 40 percent of food bank clients. Despite some provinces introducing initiatives to increase the incomes of people who receive social assistance — for example, issuing one-time cost-of-living payments and indexing rates to inflation — social assistance incomes are still so low that all household types on this form of income live below the poverty line in almost every province and territory.

32 percent of food bank clients are newcomers to Canada who have been in the country for 10 years or less.

Newcomers to Canada who have been in the country for 10 years or less account for 32% of food bank clients, a significant increase from last year. Most clients in this category arrived within the last two years. Recent newcomers to Canada who lose their jobs are less likely to access two income supports of last resort — employment insurance or provincial social assistance — because of restrictive eligibility requirements. In addition, recent newcomers who are currently employed have more precarious work arrangements and receive lower wages, both of which contribute to their greater levels of food insecurity. The increase in need among recent newcomers makes the massive gaps in our safety net more visible and reinforces the urgent need for reform.