Food security and managing limited resources biggest concerns for Atlantic Canadians: study

Almost three-quarters of Atlantic Canadians rank food security and managing their limited resources as being the biggest challenge they faced in 2023, most of them expect those struggles to continue into 2024.

The 2023 Canadian Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis study from Salvation Army Canada shows that 73 per cent of the respondents polled in the Atlantic provinces this October worried about feeding themselves (on par with the national figure) while 71 per cent worried about how they would manage their resources to pay for food, rent and other essentials.

When asked what challenges they expect in the next six months, 61 per cent noted concerns about food insecurity and 63 per cent were worried about getting the most out of their resources.

Health care wasn’t far from people’s minds either, with 55 per cent saying it was among their biggest challenges over the last year, 45 per cent of whom expect that worry to carry into next year.

“What’s clear from our research is that Canadians are struggling in every corner of Atlantic Canada, and they are worried about their families’ futures,” says Major Jamie Locke, Salvation Army Divisional Secretary for Public Relations. “The situation is particularly difficult for single parent families where parents are going without food to make ends meet.”

The findings from the 107 people polled were consistent with the responses from more than 1,500 people polled across Canada.

Nationally, the report found that 25 per cent of Canadians fear they do not have enough income to cover their basic needs, that number climbs to 40 per cent for single-parent households.

Other notable findings include:

• 21 per cent of respondents reported skipping or reducing the size of at least one meal because they cannot afford to buy groceries (45 per cent among single parents);
• 22 per cent of parents reported eating less so their children or other family members could eat (44 per cent among single parents);
• 43 per cent of food bank users were first-timers.