The average Canadian household earned enough money to cover its annual grocery bill for 2026 by this past Sunday, according to calculations from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
“The Food Freedom Day analysis shows us that despite Canada being a global food supplier, there are large segments of Canadians that are struggling with food affordability, and this burden seems to be growing,” said CFA president Keith Currie in a Feb. 6 news release.
“Food Freedom Day” fell on Feb. 8, the same date as last year, the CFA said. Canadian spent 10.8 per cent of their disposable income on food and beverages in 2025 compared to 10.7 per cent in 2024.
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“Average disposable income figures don’t fully reflect the pressure that rising food costs place on households, especially those with lower incomes,” the CFA said. “Global disruptions and inflationary pressures have further strained food affordability and food security across the country.”
Households in the lowest quintile of income spent 28.20 per cent of disposable incomes on food, the CFA said, citing StatCan data. Households in the highest income quintile spent 5.18 per cent.
CUSMA review a risk
While food price inflation has slowed in some categories, food prices are 27 per cent higher than they were in 2020, the most recent Canada’s Food Price Report showed. Meat prices led hikes in 2025. As such, food affordability continues to be a key concern for consumers.
A quarter of Canadians are considered food insecure and 2.2 million people visited food banks monthly last year.
The CFA flagged the review of the CUSMA trade agreement as a future risk for food prices. Most food products are exempt from tariffs under CUSMA and any shift could be costly for consumers.
“With the threat of tariffs hanging over our head from the U.S. and other major trading partners, these food affordability concerns only highlight the critical importance of a united Canadian approach to maintaining open and predictable North American trade,” Currie said.
