This report warns that escalating food bank use in Ontario is an indicator that homelessness, strain on the health care system, and instability within communities are set to rise if immediate action is not taken. It urges the Province of Ontario to take a new approach to poverty reduction, and make immediate investments to hep Ontarians.
More than 1 million Ontarians needed a food bank in 2025, visiting hunger-relief services more than 8.7 million times across the province. This marks the ninth consecutive year of growth and the highest level of demand on record.
Food banks in Ontario are struggling to keep up with demand – more than half report concerns about running out of food or not having enough to sustain their operations over the next six months. One in ten food banks in the province have already been forced to reduce services because they do not have enough for the number of people turning to them for help.
Who was using food banks in Ontario in 2025:
- 1 in 3 people visited a food bank for the first time
- 1 in 3 were children under 18 years old
- 1 in 3 were people with disabilities
- 1 in 4 were employed but still could not earn enough to make ends meet
- 3 in 4 were rental market tenants
- Twice as many were seniors, compared to just five years ago, because their fixed incomes have not kept up with the rising cost of living
Published By: Feed Ontario
Publication Date: December 01, 2025
Click here to access Feed Ontario Hunger Report 2025
