Canadians more optimistic about food inflation, despite one in three still struggling to afford food

According to a new report by the Food Professor's, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, at Dalhousie University, Canadians are more optimistic about food inflation than last year.According to a Spring 2026 report published late April, out of over 3,000 respondents from across Canada, only 18.6% of Canadians anticipate very high food inflation (above 10%) in the coming months. This is a 10% decrease from the previous year, with more than 30% of Canadians expecting food inflation to fall between 5% and 7%.Despite the decline in pessimism, food remains the top expense concern among Canadians at 81%. .This, as Charlebois points out on his Substack, is reflected in the increase in households' monthly spending on food, rising from $396 last year to $412 this year.This is an almost 5% year-over-year increase.Canadians are "forced to increase their at-home food budgets," while absorbing higher costs and cutting their dining out budgets, with households spending $50 or less on dining out or takeout a month. Moreover, there has been an almost 2% increase in the number of households spending over $600 a month on groceries bringing it to 20%. .According to Charlebois, money-saving strategies at the grocery store began to spike in response to rising prices in 2024.These behaviours are now part of everyday grocery shopping for Canadians, as 44.4% of people say they actively seek out sales and discounts every time they go grocery shopping.Affordability concerns even bleed down into the items regularly bought by consumers, with 20% of consumers cutting back on premium foods like meat and fresh produce. In fall 2024, 34% of Canadians stated they dipped into their savings or borrowed money to pay for food, a figure which remains unchanged despite a dip in 2025. Based on this data, Charlebois asks, "So are Canadians better off today than they were before Mark Carney took office?".Yes and no — depending on how you look at it.Based on sentiment, yes, Canadians are a bit better off, since they are less worried about extreme inflation.But based on financial reality, Charlebois says no, Canadians are not better off.Affordability remains a top concern for over 45% of consumers, while concerns over nutrition rank second for over 28% of consumers and taste concerns only 15 to 18% of consumers..Interestingly, concerns over environmental impact, social responsibility, and other similar considerations remain relatively low at 6%. Overall, as Charlebois points out, the survey results show Canadians are not recovering from high inflation prices but are adapting to the constraint.The real challenge, he says, is the persistence of inflation."Even moderate inflation, sustained over time, erodes purchasing power and forces difficult trade-offs that affect nutrition, health, and food security," stated Charlebois. The report states one in three Canadians are still struggling to afford food.

Canadians more optimistic about food inflation, despite one in three still struggling to afford food

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