Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount 2026, released on 21 October, counted 2.35 million visits to food banks nationwide in March. That was an 8.7% increase from a year earlier and 117% above 2019. The study draws on data from more than 5,500 food banks and community organizations across Canada.

The report says 18% of food bank clients were employed, up from 12.2% in 2019. Children made up 32.5% of clients, while 72% lived in market-rent housing; people with the lowest incomes spent an average of 60% of disposable income on housing. Food Banks Canada also reported that food prices had risen about 30% since 2021. These figures are the report’s measurements and comparisons. Visits are not a count of unique people. The source notes projections for missing Quebec data and methodological changes that prevent some regional historical comparisons.