The
Data
| Canada | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
1,084,386 | 150,732 |
Total Visits (Child) |
374,474 | 49,620 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-1.1 | -1.0 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
5,570,329 | 332,131 |
Food Banks Reporting |
2,326 | 672 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
47.0 | 45.3 |
| YT/NT/NU | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
6,110 | 4,471 |
Total Visits (Child) |
2,112 | 1,722 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-8.3 | -7.1 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
7,011 | 5,217 |
Food Banks Reporting |
13 | 10 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
50.0 | 60.0 |
| BC | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
124,713 | 16,406 |
Total Visits (Child) |
38,074 | 4,731 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-1.6 | -11.5 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
455,901 | 22,979 |
Food Banks Reporting |
113 | 59 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
48.5 | 49.1 |
| AB | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
89,821 | 13,614 |
Total Visits (Child) |
35,282 | 5,368 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-7.9 | -9.8 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
1,092,416 | 2,673 |
Food Banks Reporting |
171 | 61 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
45.1 | 35.8 |
| SK | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
37,216 | 5,828 |
Total Visits (Child) |
15,778 | 2,595 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-3.6 | -0.4 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
14,280 | 3,108 |
Food Banks Reporting |
36 | 26 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
42.4 | 43.5 |
| MB | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
82,067 | 8,641 |
Total Visits (Child) |
33,280 | 3,453 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
- | - |
Total Meals and Snacks |
419,970 | 2,433 |
Food Banks Reporting |
52 | 42 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
39.6 | 40.0 |
| ON | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
339,613 | 22,377 |
Total Visits (Child) |
111,051 | 6,584 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
4.8 | -8.7 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
1,770,357 | 7,268 |
Food Banks Reporting |
577 | 139 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
48.2 | 41.2 |
| QC | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
345,184 | 56,977 |
Total Visits (Child) |
120,025 | 18,337 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-5.5 | 13.9 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
1,595,120 | 229,180 |
Food Banks Reporting |
1,150 | 228 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
45.7 | 45.6 |
| NB | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
22,625 | 7,878 |
Total Visits (Child) |
7,123 | 2,444 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
7.9 | -0.8 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
118,929 | 51,130 |
Food Banks Reporting |
58 | 39 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
48.1 | 52.8 |
| PEI | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
2,959 | 878 |
Total Visits (Child) |
1,137 | 335 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-6.1 | 3.0 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
4,078 | - |
Food Banks Reporting |
6 | 3 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
16.7 | 33.3 |
| NS | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
25,629 | 9,397 |
Total Visits (Child) |
7,463 | 2,807 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
-0.06 | 3 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
103,357 | 7,877 |
Food Banks Reporting |
123 | 40 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
53.9 | 55.9 |
| NL | ALL | RURAL |
|---|---|---|
Total Visits |
10,704 | 4,265 |
Total Visits (Child) |
3,149 | 1,243 |
% Change in Total Visits 2018-2019 |
5.8 | -1.8 |
Total Meals and Snacks |
3,402 | 266 |
Food Banks Reporting |
45 | 25 |
% of Food Banks Reporting an increase, 2018-2019 |
59.0 | 58.3 |
*Please note: The correct number of visits for 2018 was 10,114. There was a data collection process error in 2018, and the current percentage change takes into account the required recalculation. | ||
34.1%
34.1% of food bank users are children while representing only 19.4% of the population
48.1%
Single adult households represent 48.1% of households accessing food banks, while representing only 28.2% of the population
57.4%
Those receiving provincial social assistance as their main source of income support represent 57.4% of households accessing food banks
1 in 8
17.3%
1 in 11
18.3%
The percentage of single adults with children using food banks is 18.3% while representing only 10.1% of the population
6.8%
While seniors represent 6.8% of food bank users, the rate of increase is far outpacing other age groups
5,570,329
This is the number of total meals and snacks served in 2019
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network in Canada. We do this by maximizing the collective impact of the network, strengthening the local capacity of food banks, and advocating to reduce the need for food banks.
Support the creation of affordable early learning and childcare across the country
Increase supports for single adults living with low incomes
Immediately implement the Canada Housing Benefit
Develop pilot projects towards a basic income for all Canadians
Reduce northern food insecurity
Support the creation of affordable early learning and childcare across the country
Increase supports for single adults living with low incomes
Immediately implement the Canada Housing Benefit
Develop pilot projects towards a basic income for all Canadians
Reduce northern food insecurity
As is demonstrated in this report, food bank use remains at unacceptably high levels. While food banks are finding new and innovative ways to provide healthy, nutritious food and a wide variety of services to support those they serve, only long-term policy solutions can address the root causes of hunger in Canada.
Food Banks Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. We support a network of Provincial Associations, affiliate food banks, and food agencies that work at the community level to relieve hunger. Our work is focused on maximizing collective impact, strengthening local capacity, and reducing the need for food banks.
Us
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network in Canada. We do this by maximizing the collective impact of the network, strengthening the local capacity of food banks, and advocating to reduce the need for food banks.
methodology
The annual HungerCount is Food Banks Canada’s signature report documenting food bank use in Canada. It is a cross-sectional, census survey of most food bank agencies, organizations and programs, within and outside of the Food Banks Canada network. The HungerCount provides a point in time snapshot of food bank use in Canada.
Food Banks Canada is always looking for ways to improve the HungerCount report. If you have questions about the report, or ideas on how we could make this research better, we would like to hear from you. Please get in touch at [email protected] and reference HungerCount.
To learn more about our data collection and analysis processes for HungerCount 2019, click here to download the full PDF report.
