Canada food bank visits reach record 2.35 million monthly

Monthly visits to food banks in Canada reached a record 2.35 million in March 2026, marking a nearly 9% increase from 2025 and a 117% rise since 2019, according to Food Banks Canada’s 2026 HungerCount report.

The report highlights a growing crisis where individuals are forced to make trade-offs between food, rent, and other essentials. Key drivers include significant cost-of-living increases since 2021: food prices have risen by approximately 30%, housing by 28%, and transportation by 24%. Notably, 18% of food bank clients are employed, and children represent roughly one-third of all monthly visits.

In response to rising demand, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has selected Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest to administer up to $20 million from the federal Local Food Infrastructure Fund’s Community Support Stream. Each organization will receive up to $10 million to help eligible food banks and non-profits acquire and distribute food.