Government Publications
Statistics Canada also publishes their own reports on food insecurity in Canada. This page lists recent publications to provide site users with easy access to these resources. These reports are not products of the PROOF research program.
It is important to note that there are differences in the collection and analysis of food insecurity data described in these publications. Our publication, Household Food Insecurity in Canada: A Guide to Measurement and Interpretation (2018), provides more information on interpreting food insecurity statistics.
By Statistics Canada
Release date: March 23, 2022
Food insecurity is one of 12 indicators on Canada’s Official Poverty Dashboard. This trend report includes the prevalence estimates for moderate and severe food insecurity, based on data collected in 2020 (Canadian Income Survey 2019) and 2021 (Canadian Income Survey 2020).
Release date: February 16, 2022
This Health Reports study provides a preliminary look at food insecurity data, collected through the Fall 2020 September-to-December cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey. As described, interpretation of this data is limited by pandemic-related impacts to survey collection, notably the low response rate. This report differs from others because it uses person-level weights, meaning estimates reflect the number of Canadians aged 12 and older who reported experiences of food insecurity.
Release date: January 07, 2022
This study in the Income Research Paper Series reports food insecurity data for 2018 and 2019, collected through the Canadian Income Survey (CIS). It discusses key considerations due to pandemic-related monitoring interruptions and for comparing the estimates with those from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The release marks the first estimates using CIS data and the start of more consistent, annual monitoring, in support of the federal Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Release date: March 10, 2021
This study in the Longitudinal and International Study of Adults Research Paper Series examined the impact of stressful life events on food insecurity among adults in Canada. It found that events that impact finances, like job loss or illness, increase the likelihood of experiencing food insecurity.
Release date: December 16, 2020
This Health Reports study investigated the association between food insecurity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and found that people who experience food insecurity were more likely to report poorer mental health and symptoms of anxiety.
Release date: November 2, 2020
This technical report provides guidance on the analytical use of food insecurity data from Statistics Canada’s Longitudinal and International Study of Adults (LISA).
Release date: June 24, 2020
This paper reports food insecurity over the past 30 days in the provinces in early 2020, collected as part of the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS-2) survey. The purpose of this survey was to better understand the impact of the pandemic on various social issues. There are noteworthy differences from food insecurity measurement in other StatCan surveys, such as a shortened 6-item module and different reference period (asking about experiences over past 30 days, instead of 12 months).
