A worrying number of Canadian parents have cut back on their own meals to feed their kids, according to a new report.
The Salvation Army released its 2024 Canadian Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis and the findings are pretty depressing.
While the new data reveals that concerns surrounding inflation and food affordability have eased slightly, Canadians figuring out how to manage limited resources, healthcare and food-related challenges are still top of mind.
The Salvation Army
The charitable organization surveyed over 1,500 Canadians to produce the analysis to better understand their attitudes and experiences on issues like housing and food, general affordability and related health outcomes.
“Despite these shifting concerns, many Canadians continue to struggle with meeting their basic needs,” reads the report.
“More than half of those accessing food banks are using them for the first time —58% this year compared to 43% in 2023 — highlighting the growing financial strain many are experiencing.”
The survey found that parents are bearing the brunt of the cost of living crisis.
“While there are indications Canadians are feeling better about their circumstances, parents are experiencing a disproportionate number of challenges, particularly food-related challenges,” reads the report.
The Salvation Army
According to The Salvation Army, 24% of parents reported cutting back on their own meals to ensure their children could eat, and 58% of Canadian parents are faced with food-related struggles overall.
When it comes to paying the bills, 15% of Canadians said they missed payments due to financial constraints, with the number rising to 22% among parents.
Compared to 19% of all Canadians, 23% of parents are faced with housing-related challenges.
This isn’t the only report this year with these findings.
According to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index released last month, nearly half of Canadians say they’ve stopped eating out to make ends meet.
In a callout Daily Hive did over the summer, Canadians shared how hard affording food has been for them, with several people saying they skip meals to save.