HungerCount is Food Banks Canada’s annual national research study, tracking food bank use and the factors driving food insecurity across the country since 1989. By highlighting the realities facing people in every province and territory, HungerCount helps inform public understanding and drive action toward lasting solutions.

Together, Let’s Feed Greatness by building a future where no one goes hungry.

Food banks across the country continue to set new records. This year, they recorded 2.35 million visits in a single month, 117% higher than in 2019 and nearly 9% higher than last year alone.

These numbers reflect years of mounting pressure on household finances. Rising housing costs, insufficient housing supply, food inflation, economic uncertainty, and inadequate income supports have steadily eroded the financial resilience of millions of people across Canada. As a result, setbacks that were once manageable are increasingly pushing households into crisis.

This year’s HungerCount tells the story of what happens when people run out of options and are forced into impossible trade-offs to meet their basic needs.