The annual report issued by Food Banks Canada on Wednesday (October 25) stated that the number of people requesting help from relief groups such as food banks across Canada this year is the highest since statistics began being collected in 1989.

The report is based on statistics gathered by relief sites nationwide in March of this year. During this month, 1.9 million people went to soup kitchens for food, an increase of nearly one-third compared to the same period last year and a 78% increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Previously, the main reason for the need for food relief was unemployment, but due to rising inflation and increasing prices, a larger number of workers are now joining the ranks of those receiving free food, making up 17%. The rapid increase in the number of people requesting help coincides with a sharp rise in the inflation rate.

Data from the same period also showed that one-third of those in need of food relief are under 18 years old, and more than a quarter of them are immigrants who have settled in Canada for less than ten years.

Indigenous peoples and people of color represent nearly 40% of those seeking help. This figure was 32% during the same period last year. Almost half of the Indigenous seekers and 15% of white seekers who participated in the survey reported that they started needing food relief at some point last year.

The report also believes that inadequate social support is another significant reason for the increased demand for food relief. More than 40% of people requesting help primarily rely on social assistance for survival.

The report recommends that the government provide better assistance to low-income groups, such as providing them with affordable housing and increasing benefits for seniors who live solely on pensions.