Food Banks Canada Poverty Report
There was a time when getting a job meant stability.
Previous generations could graduate high school, get a job, and build a good life. Families could often survive on one income while raising children, buying homes, and planning for the future. Young adults could move out at 18, rent an apartment, and afford the basics on an entry level paycheck.
That is no longer the reality for many Canadians.
Today, it often takes two incomes just to keep a household afloat. Young adults graduating from university or starting their first jobs are struggling to afford rent on their own and are increasingly relying on roommates simply to make ends meet.
According to the 2026 Food Banks Canada Poverty Report, nearly 1 in 4 Canadians are now food insecure. Food bank visits across the country have doubled since 2020.
Even more concerning, one in five food bank clients are employed. Having a job no longer guarantees food security.
Here in Alberta, the situation is troubling:
28.4% of Albertans are living in food insecure households
43% of Albertans are spending more than 30% of their income on housing
Albertans are spending nearly 60% of their income on fixed costs outside housing
Alberta received a D− overall in the Poverty Report Cards
The cost of living is rising faster than incomes, and more Albertans are struggling to afford the basics.
Behind these statistics are real families.
Parents skipping meals so their children can eat.
People working full-time jobs and still needing support.
Young adults trying to build a future while drowning in rent and everyday expenses.
But the hardest reality of all is that 40% of people experiencing food insecurity are children. Children are going to school hungry every day while parents are doing everything they can just to keep up.
Food insecurity does not look the way many people imagine it does. It can affect working families, seniors, students, people with disabilities, single parents, and young professionals. Food insecurity can happen to anyone.
But we can all play a part in reducing hunger in our community.
Across Central Alberta, communities continue to show up for one another. Volunteers, donors, businesses, nonprofits, and neighbours are helping ensure people have access to food and support during difficult times.
Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Central Alberta, where no one goes hungry, where we support and care for our most vulnerable, and where everyone has the essentials they need to live with dignity and participate fully in our community.
Read the full report