Canada’s Rising Cost of Living Pushes Food Bank Usage to Record High

The rising cost of living in Canada is forcing more people to rely on food banks, with usage reaching an all-time high. According to Food Banks Canada’s 2026 HungerCount report, a record 2.35 million visits were recorded in March alone.

The annual report shows that food bank visits increased by nearly 9 per cent compared with last year and by more than 117 per cent since 2019. It also found that one in five food bank users is employed.

Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley said many people who were previously able to manage small financial setbacks are now struggling to make ends meet. She added that millions of Canadians are being forced to make difficult choices between buying food and paying rent.

Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the Liberal government over the findings and called for all taxes on food products to be removed to make groceries more affordable.