New Food Banks Canada Polling Data: 35% of Canadians feel financially worse off than they did three months ago as food banks brace for a tidal wave of increased demand

Food Banks Canada released bleak new polling data today conducted by Pollara that shows 35% of Canadians feel worse off financially than they did three months ago.

Food Banks CEO Kirstin Beardsley says the new findings coupled with recent research from Statistics Canada, underscore the urgent need for action from all levels of government including the  introduction of a Groceries and Essentials Benefit to stop Canada’s growing hunger crisis and make sure that every person in Canada can afford their basic needs. “If the newest StatsCan projections come true, the food bank system will not be able to support the tidal wave of people needing support,” shared Beardsley, CEO, Food Banks Canada. “The food banking network was never meant to be able to support a quarter of people in Canada. It is a frightening scenario laid out by StatsCan, for so many people struggling to make ends meet, one that needs urgent attention from governments across the country.”

Newly released Food Banks Canada poll conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights confirms:

• More than a third of people in Canada (35%) feel worse off financially than they did 3 months ago.
• Among those who report their financial well-being has worsened over the past three months:
  • Almost half of all those with incomes below $50,000 a year (47%)
  • 43% or people who identify as visible minorities
  • 43% of people who live in the Atlantic region
  • 42% of Millennials

Together with its network of 5,100 food banks and community organizations, Food Banks Canada is encouraging everyone in Canada to use their voice and get involved in the fight against hunger and poverty – as demand continues to soar at Canada’s struggling food banks. Join the Call for Change

“Food banks and Canadians are bracing for a cruel fall.  As more and more Canadians face unprecedented levels of financial hardship, food banks are desperately trying to keep up with skyrocketing demand. This is not sustainable,” Beardsley, CEO, Food Banks Canada. “But that doesn’t have to be Canada’s future. Food banks alone are not the solution to addressing poverty in Canada. We need urgent intervention from all levels of government to help address and reverse the trend of increasing hunger and food insecurity in Canada. A brighter future is possible and we urge every Canadian to use their voice and join the call for change.”

About Food Banks Canada:

Food Banks Canada is the leader in addressing Food Insecurity in Canada.  Our mission is to provide national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For over 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 5,100 food banks and community organizations come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who in March of last year made nearly two million visits to these organizations, according to our 2023 HungerCount Report. Since 2010, Food Banks Canada has shared over $829 million in food supports and over $245 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while, backed by leading research,  advocating for meaningful actions from governments to counter hunger and its root causes.. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.

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The Quarterly report involved an online survey of 1,500 adult Canadians surveyed from July 17 to July 24, 2024. While online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error, the corresponding margin of error for a probability sample of this size is +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error will be larger when looking at sub-populations.