1 in 3 Canadians report skipping meals due to grocery costs: Survey

Salvation Army's spokesperson calls reports findings 'deeply concerning'

Published Nov 04, 2026  •  2 minute read

Customers grocery shopping in an aisle at the Real Canadian Superstore in Toronto, March 3, 2025. Photo by Katherine KY Cheng /Getty Images

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Nearly one-third of Canadians are skipping meals or reducing portion sizes because they can’t afford groceries, according to a new Salvation Army report.

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The Salvation Army’s 2026 Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis, released Tuesday, highlighted that food affordability is increasingly becoming a concern among Canadians.

Overall, 31% of Canadians reported cutting back on food due to affordability issues, which is up from 27% in the Salvation Army’s report last year.

But the situation is grimmer among younger Canadians, with 41% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 reporting that they’ve skipped or cut meals because they couldn’t afford them.

“It’s deeply concerning that nearly one in three Canadians are having to skip meals or eat less because they can’t afford groceries,” said Glenn van Gulik, the Salvation Army’s national spokesperson, in a news release.

“For many families, making ends meet is no longer about cutting back on extras. It’s about making difficult choices between food, housing and other basic necessities. These findings reinforce why accessible, compassionate support is so important in communities across the country,” he added.

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Worries over food affordability and U.S. tariffs

While health care and inflation remain the top two concerns for Canadians, food affordability surged 11 percentage points, ranking third in this year’s report.

The survey also suggested that Canadians were more concerned about U.S. tariffs and their impacts on everyday essentials compared to last year.

A majority of respondents (89%) agreed with the statement that they were concerned that proposed U.S. tariffs would contribute to higher prices for everyday goods.

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Many cutting back on non-essentials

To afford basic needs, the survey’s 63% of respondents said they’ve cut back on everyday non-essential goods and services, like streaming and dining out.

Half of respondents said they’ve dipped into their savings just to cover basic needs, while 40% said they’ve taken on debt or used credit.

The report was based on an online survey of over 1,500 Canadians from the Angus Reid Forum and conducted between Sept. 11 and 18.

“A margin of error cannot be calculated on a non-probability sample,” the report noted.

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