Canada has a generational opportunity to reduce poverty
Press Release
Food Banks Canada’s 2026 Poverty Report Cards shows that despite some positive legislative steps, country is still treading water in the face of historic food insecurity.
Canada’s resilience against poverty and food insecurity improved slightly in 2026 — but without urgent, federal action to modernize EI, and provincial and territorial improvements to social assistance — that positive progress is at risk of being swept away, warns Food Banks Canada in its 2026 Poverty Report Cards.
According to the new reports, the introduction of the Grocery and Essentials Benefit, progress toward automatic tax filing, expanded dental care and the strengthening of the Canada Child Benefit nudged Canada’s overall grade up from a D in 2025 to a D+ in 2026.
In its 2026 Poverty Report Cards, Food Banks Canada outlines a practical roadmap to help governments prioritize poverty reduction strategies, while issuing an urgent call for the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, to do their part to reduce food insecurity and poverty.
| Canada 2026 Poverty Report Card | 2026 | 2025 |
| Overall Grade | D+ | D |
| Food Insecurity Grade | F | F |
| Legislative Progress | C | C |
| Federal Policy Recommendations |
| Reform EI permanently to create modern supports for today’s workforce |
| Close the cost-of-living gap in the Groceries and Essentials Benefit for Northern Canada |
| Conduct a national review of social assistance and federal transfers |
See regional highlights below
Canada Needs Modern EI for Modern Workplace
“Canada needs modern EI for our modern workplace. Too many workers— youth, gig, self-employed, part-time and precarious workers — are all paying the price for decades of temporary, band-aid policies. As unemployment trends upwards, combined with increased living costs and economic uncertainty, our broken and outdated EI system is one of the greatest threats to Canada’s resiliency,” explains Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley.
Join the Call for Modern EI Reform
“Change is possible. It’s time to make the generational investment and comprehensive reforms needed to rebuild and modernize EI for modern workers,” urges Beardsley.
“Join with us in calling for a stronger Canada where everyone has access to the food they need to thrive. Join Food Banks Canada’s call-to-action to let your federal representatives know that you support a modern EI for Canada’s modern workforce.”
Treading Water Against Rising Food Insecurity
Encouragingly, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador saw modest improvements in their overall grade compared to 2024; both provinces moved forward on many recommendations outlined in past Food Banks Canada reports. Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan also posted slight 2026 improvements.
Alberta and Ontario stayed consistent, indicating no improvement. Quebec, once a significant national leader, saw its overall grade decline in 2026. While the province still has the nation’s lowest poverty rate, the gap with other provinces has shrunk. New Brunswick, PEI, and BC also saw their overall grades decline in 2026, suggesting that poverty reduction efforts have stalled, or even regressed, in those provinces. New Brunswick received the only failing grade, indicating that poverty reduction efforts have not kept pace with growing needs.
In the North, the report spotlights the impact of chronic underinvestment, emergency-levels of food insecurity and calls out for dedicated investments in Indigenous data sovereignty alongside Indigenous-led infrastructure and skills training.
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