Overview
The report draws on 55,000 households from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey (2022). It found that household food insecurity in Canada increased from 15.9% in 2021 to 17.8% in 2022, the highest level in the 17-year history of monitoring. An estimated 6.9 million people, including nearly 1.8 million children under 18, lived in households experiencing some level of food insecurity during 2022. The report emphasizes the structural drivers (inadequate income, material deprivation) and calls for policy action beyond food assistance programs
Key findings
• 17.8% of households in the ten provinces experienced food insecurity in 2022.
• 2.7 million households and 6.9 million people were food insecure, including nearly 1.8 million children.
• This represents the highest prevalence recorded since monitoring began.
• Rising food insecurity occurred after three years of relative stability.
Policy considerations
• Address root causes by strengthening income supports and social safety nets.
• Recognize food insecurity as driven by inadequate incomes, not simply food access issues.
• Prioritize food insecurity reduction in federal and provincial social policy agendas
Program considerations
• Expand and improve income-support programs (e.g., benefits, minimum wage policies).
• Monitor food insecurity trends annually and guide program planning.
• Partner with community organizations in service delivery
Target population
All Canadian households
Intended audience
Policy Makers, Researchers
Geographic focus
Canada
Evidence type
Quantitative
Source type
Research Report
Language
English
Reference
Li, T., Fafard St-Germain, A.-A., & Tarasuk, V. (2023). Household food insecurity in Canada, 2022. PROOF – Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity
