Due to soaring costs for necessities like housing and food, a record 2.2 million Canadians—including recent immigrants—visited food banks in March, according to Food Banks Canada's 2025 HungerCount report.

Food bank usage doubled since 2019, up 5.2% from last year. Food Banks Canada notes it took decades to reach one million monthly visits, but only five years to double that.

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Poverty and hunger are "normalizing" in Canada, with 5,500 food banks reporting increased use, particularly by employed individuals. Almost one-in-five (19.4%) food bank clients are employed, up from 12.2% in 2019.

Richard Matern, Food Banks Canada's director of research, told Global News that the increased cost of living has impacted people's purchasing power, leading to a rise in food bank visits.

With food inflation up 4% in September, Canadians face higher grocery costs. Food Banks Canada reports a rise in clients, from construction workers to receptionists, who now rely on food banks after work instead of grocery shopping.

Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley told Global that the doubling of food bank visits since 2019, reflecting how far people are falling behind monthly, "can't be the new normal in Canada" and must reverse next year.

Food inflation climbs after U.S. counter-tariffs end

In 2025, Canadian families are expected to spend $16,833.67 on food, an increase of $801.56 from the previous year.https://t.co/o38M4JjXbB

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) October 22, 2025

Economists attribute high food costs to complex factors including tariffs, trade tensions with the U.S., regulatory burdens, logistical issues, supply chain bottlenecks, and limited retail competition. Tariffs on various U.S. food imports were in place until recently.

In September, the federal government ended 25% counter-tariffs on food imports, which had raised costs. Talks have since reached an impasse over a controversial anti-tariff ad. 

Food costs rose 3.5% in August, continuing an upward trend since April 2024.

Melissa Lantsman rips the Liberals over the high cost of living and housing crisis facing Canadians.

"The cost of food has risen overall more than inflation every single month that this prime minister has been here," she says. pic.twitter.com/xbSxKu5WK4

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 15, 2025

Newcomers (in Canada 10 years or less) comprise nearly 34% of food bank clients, a 161.5% increase from 13% six years ago. Precarious work, low wages, and ineligibility for social insurance drive food insecurity among newcomers.

Food banks report increased visits due to seasonal/casual work, low hours, and restrictions for temporary foreign workers and international students. Some city food banks, like Waterloo and Brampton, have seen a recent surge from international students, overwhelming demand.

The report recommends modernizing employment insurance, investing in affordable housing, introducing a groceries and essentials benefit for low-income Canadians, and addressing northern food insecurity.

Experts cite international events like the Russian-Ukraine war as a driver of food inflation and the Canadian dollar's lesser value than the U.S. dollar.

MORE: https://t.co/wy7s0bRrTz pic.twitter.com/lIZpPr65pg

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 12, 2023

In 2025, Canadian families are expected to spend $16,833.67 on food, an increase of $801.56 from the previous year.

The Agri-Food Analytics Lab consistently highlighted grocery affordability as a key concern for Canadians, even before trade disputes and rising food costs, a warning largely disregarded by the Liberal government.

Rebel News earlier reported that grocery prices have surged 27.1% since July 2020.