New research has found around seven million Canadians are going hungry due to rising inflation and housing costs.
The newly released data from Food Banks Canada shows one in five Canadians reported going hungry, and 23 per cent said they are eating less than they should because there isn’t enough money for food.
“This summer will be the toughest Canada’s food banks have ever experienced in our 41 year history,” explains Food Banks Canada’s newly-appointed CEO Kirstin Beardsley, “The majority of food banks in every region of Canada are already stretched to their limits, with demand expected to remain high throughout the summer months as more and more Canadians struggle to cope with rising inflation,” says Beardsley.
According to Beardsley, 61% of Canadians now believe that rising housing costs are the biggest barrier that is preventing Canadians from being able to afford food. That number has doubled in the past year alone.
She adds, they are seeing former clients forced to return to food banks after five or more years of not having to rely on them to get by.
“In the past, people would turn to food banks during times of job loss, or due to lower wages, but over the past six months, Canadians are telling us that they are running out of money for food because of rising housing, gas, energy and food costs. That’s an indication that we need to find new longer-term solutions to fight hunger and food insecurity.”
- 1-in-5 Canadians (7 million people) report going hungry at least once between March 2020 – March 2022
1-in-3 Canadians who earn less than 50,000 a year; report instances of not having enough money for food between March 2020 – March 2022- 43% of Indigenous individuals
- 23% report eating less than they believe they should because there wasn’t enough money for food
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- 40% for those earning under $50,000 a year
- 45% for Indigenous households
- 43% for Black households