Hunger and poverty are on the rise in both the United States and Canada, with food insecurity levels spiking dramatically in 2023 as COVID-19 assistance programs expired. That’s been compounded by rising food costs that have left millions struggling to put food on the table.
Canada witnessed a surge in food insecurity, jumping nearly 5 percentage points to 22.9% of the population living in food-insecure households between 2022 and 2023, according to the University of Toronto. According to the 2023 Hunger Count by Food Banks Canada, food banks recorded a record 1.9 million visits, representing a 32% increase compared to the previous year. Parents constituted the largest segment of food bank users, highlighting the acute challenges faced by families. Provincially, Newfoundland and Labrador experienced the highest rate of food insecurity, with 23% of households affected in 2022, followed closely by New Brunswick and Alberta both at 22%.
In the United States, 13.5% of households — approximately 18 million — faced food insecurity at some point during the year, marking a slight rise from 12.8% in 2022, according to a report by USDA. Among the states, Arkansas reported the highest prevalence of food insecurity, with 18.9% of households affected between 2021 and 2023.