Canadian food bank visits doubled since 2019, with 161% more newcomers

As the cost of essentials such as shelter and food has increased in Canada, so have the number of employed people, children, two-parent households, recent immigrants and seniors who turn to food banks. In March alone, food banks recorded an unprecedented 2.2 million visits, according to Food Banks Canada’s 2025 HungerCount . Article content

Food bank usage has doubled since 2019 and is 5.2 per cent higher than it was last year. “It took decades to reach one million visits in a month, and it has now taken half a decade to double that,” Food Banks Canada notes. Article content

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According to the report, which encompasses the country’s 5,500 food banks and community organizations, poverty and hunger are “normalizing” in Canada.

Food banks increasing