Food availability, 2023
Released: 2024-05-31
In 2023, many commodities, such as pork, chicken and wheat flour, saw increases in Canadian production. However, from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, Canada's population saw one of its highest 12-month growth rates (+2.9%) since 1957 (+3.3%). As a result, many commodities experienced a decline in per capita availability in 2023.
The food availability series includes data on the annual supply and disposition of food in Canada, as well as per capita estimates of the amounts of food available to Canadians.
Availability of fresh and processed fruit down
From 2022 to 2023, the availability of fresh fruit (including citrus) declined by 1.8% to 71.5 kilograms per person. Fresh fruit production was down 7.5% in 2023, but imports increased while exports decreased. The availability of processed fruit decreased 11.3% to 15.3 kilograms per person.
Decreased availability of fresh and processed vegetables
The availability of fresh vegetables (excluding potatoes) was 63.7 kilograms per person in 2023, a decrease of 1.5% from 2022. While the total amount of fresh vegetables (excluding potatoes) available increased by 1.4% from 2022, it was outpaced by Canadian population growth. The availability of processed vegetables decreased to 34.0 kilograms of fresh equivalent per person in 2023 (-4.7% from 2022).
Chart 1
Availability of fresh fruit and vegetables
Poultry continues to lead meat availability, and pork overtakes beef
Total poultry availability remained stable in 2023 (+0.1% from 2022), at 25.5 kilograms (boneless weight) per person. Poultry production increased (+3.6% from 2022) for the third consecutive year in 2023.
The availability of red meat increased by 1.2% in 2023, compared with 2022, to 32.7 kilograms (boneless weight) per person. The availability of pork surpassed that of beef in 2023, with 16.7 kilograms (boneless weight) available per person (+14.4% from 2022), as pork exports continued to decline. Beef availability declined to 14.4 kilograms (boneless weight) per person in 2023 (-7.1% from 2022), as cattle slaughter decreased.
Chart 2
Availability of selected meat in boneless weights
Egg production increases, but per capita availability declines
From 2022 to 2023, egg availability decreased by 1.1% to 21.2 dozens per person despite record egg production, as Canadian population growth outpaced the increase in production of the egg industry.
Availability of milk, cream and cheese decrease
The availability of total milk decreased in 2023 (-2.6% from 2022) to 57.0 litres per person, as availability of 2%, 1%, skim, and chocolate and other flavoured milk all declined. However, standard milk availability increased by 3.0% to 11.5 litres per person.
Total cheese availability decreased 2.1% to 13.9 kilograms per person from 2022 to 2023. Production of processed cheese (-6.4% from 2022) and variety cheese (-0.4% from 2022) declined in 2023.
Total cream availability declined 1.5% from 2022 to 9.5 litres per person in 2023, despite increases in production of table cream, sour cream and cereal cream.
Wheat flour availability decreases despite new high for imports
In 2023, availability of wheat flour decreased by 0.8% compared with 2022 to 58.8 kilograms per person. This decline occurred despite a record for imports paired with a slight increase in production (+0.6%) from 2022.
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Note to readers
Data on food availability per person for selected products and on the supply and disposition of these products are now available for 2023.
Food availability is a measure of the amount of food that is physically present in a country for consumption, not demand or the amount of food that is consumed.
Total poultry includes chicken, turkey and stewing hens.
Total cream includes table cream, sour cream, whipping cream and cereal cream.
Data on potatoes (white fresh) have been revised back to 2014.
Data presented in this release are compiled from a wide variety of sources, both survey and administrative, from within Statistics Canada, as well as from other sources, including provincial and federal government departments, growers' associations and marketing boards.
The food availability data series is the result of a partnership between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Statistics Canada.
Population data are from Canada's demographic estimates for July 1, 2023.
For the latest information on the Census of Agriculture, visit the Census of Agriculture portal.
For more information on agriculture and food, visit the Agriculture and food statistics portal.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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