With the cost of living continuing to rise, spending more to buy less food is a reality for an increasing share of families, Statistics Canada said in its latest report on food insecurity.
Released today, the study “Food insecurity among Canadian families” offers insight into families most at risk of food insecurity, looking at those below and above the poverty line.
According to data from the Canadian Income Survey, the proportion of families who were food insecure in the 12 months preceding the survey increased from 16% in 2021 to 18% in 2022. Among those at highest risk of food insecurity were single mothers, Indigenous families, and racialized families.
Statistics Canada says that food insecurity stems from the interplay of various factors, including the stability of income, assets and debt, access to family and social supports, and the cost of living. Not just income. According to the study about 8 in 10 families that faced food insecurity were above the poverty line.
In addition, racialized families above the poverty line had a higher likelihood of reporting food insecurity (21%) compared with their non-racialized, non-Indigenous counterparts (14%). This higher rate of food insecurity was seen among Black (33%), Filipino (28%), Arab (21%), and South Asian (19%) families. Other racialized populations did not experience elevated rates of food insecurity.
Overall, Indigenous families were more likely than non-Indigenous families to be food insecure. At 31%, the rate of food insecurity among Indigenous families above the poverty line in 2022 was more than double the rate recorded for non-Indigenous families (15%).
Single mothers were one of the most vulnerable groups, whether below or above the poverty line. Most at risk were those with other interrelated risk factors, such as having less than a high school diploma, being unemployed, and living in a rental unit. The rate of food insecurity was highest among Indigenous and Black single mothers.
while food insecurity affects all age groups, senior-led families were the least likely to experience food insecurity, the study showed. In 2022, seniors below the poverty line had a rate of food insecurity of 21%, lower than the average rate for families below the poverty line (35%). The rate of food insecurity among seniors above the poverty line stood at 9%.
One possible explanation for seniors’ lower vulnerability to food insecurity relates to their overall better financial health. The median net worth of families with the major income earner aged 65 and older was $543,200, more than double the amount among 35- to 44-year-olds ($234,400). Compared with younger families, senior-led families also had lower proportions with a zero or negative net worth. This may reflect seniors’ higher rate of homeownership relative to younger families.
