Food insecurity among Canadian families: Which families are the most vulnerable?

Release date: November 14, 2023
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Infographic: Food insecurity among Canadian families: Which families are the most vulnerable?
Description: Food insecurity among Canadian families: Which families are the most vulnerable?

In 2022, 18% of Canadian families reported experiencing food insecurity in the previous 12 months.

Families below the poverty line more than twice as likely as those above the poverty line to experience food insecurity.


Table 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1 . The information is grouped by Poverty status (appearing as row headers), Families that are food insecure and Reported food insecurity, calculated using Percentage and Number units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Poverty status Families that are food insecure Reported food insecurity
Percentage Number
Below poverty line 35% 658,000
Above poverty line 16% 2,281,100

Female lone-parent families are among the most likely to experience food insecurity.


Table 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 2 Above poverty line and Below poverty line, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Above poverty line Below poverty line
percent
Elderly not in economic families 11 20
Elderly families 8 26
Non-elderly couple without children 11 29
Other non-elderly families 17 37
Non-elderly not in economic families 19 38
Non-elderly couple with children 20 41
Male lone-parent 20 Note F: too unreliable to be published
Female lone-parent 40 48
F too unreliable to be published
Note: "Economic families" refers to a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common-law union, adoption or a foster relationship.

Food insecurity lowest in Quebec


Table 3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 3. The information is grouped by Province (appearing as row headers), Percent (appearing as column headers).
Province Percent
Newfoundland and Labrador 23
Prince Edward Island 21
Nova Scotia 21
New Brunswick 22
Quebec 14
Ontario 19
Manitoba 19
Saskatchewan 20
Alberta 22
British Columbia 17

Source: Uppal, S., 2023, “Food insecurity among Canadian families,” Insights on Canadian Society, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-006-X.

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2023

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