Food Banks Canada published the 2026 HungerCount, an annual research study encompassing the country’s 5,500+ food banks and community organizations. The study found that monthly visits to food banks in Canada rose to 2.35 million in 2026 — increasing nearly 9% over the past year and 117% since 2019.

Key findings:

• Nearly 1-in-5 food bank clients (18%) are employed, compared to just over 1-in-10 (12.2%) in 2019.
• One-third (32.5%) of food bank clients are children — representing nearly 776,000 monthly visits in 2026.
• 72% of food bank clients live in market rent housing — and people with the lowest incomes spend on average 60% of their disposable income on housing alone.
• Since 2021, food prices have increased by approximately 30%, housing costs by 28% and transportation costs by nearly 24%.

As part of the report, Food Banks Canada provides policy recommendations, and calls on governments to make focused commitments to support the long-term economic well-being of people in Canada, while simultaneously investing in a resilient food infrastructure. Access the report to learn more.