Household food insecurity in Canada, 2011

Overview

Abstract (English)

Household food insecurity, inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints, is a significant social and public health problem in Canada. In 2011, 1.6 million Canadian households, or slightly more than 12%, experienced some level of food insecurity. This amounts to nearly one in eight households, and 3.9 million individuals in Canada, including 1.1 million children. There were 450,000 more Canadians living in households affected by food insecurity in 2011 than in 2008. Food insecurity has only been measured on a consistent basis since 2005, and not all provinces have participated in the monitoring of food insecurity each year since then. Nevertheless, the available data suggest that in most parts of Canada, food insecurity in 2011 remained at or above the levels experienced in prior years. Food insecurity was most prevalent in Canada’s North (especially Nunavut) and the Maritimes in 2011. The rates of food insecurity in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Alberta were the highest rates observed yet in these provinces. These provincial results stand in stark contrast to the trend observed in Newfoundland and Labrador. There, food insecurity has declined steadily in recent years, falling from 15.7% in 2007 to 10.6% in 2011. No other province or territory has shown a sustained drop in food insecurity rates. Households with children under the age of 18 were more likely to be food insecure than households without children (16% versus 11%). Food insecure households include over 1.1 million children, or 17% of all children under the age of 18. This means that household food insecurity affected one in every six children in Canada in 2011. Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick had the highest prevalence of children living in food insecure households at 57%, 27% and 25% respectively.

Abstract (French)

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