← All Indicators
Indicator #04 — BEAVER.WATCH
Food
Insecurity
"1 in 5 people live in a household that struggles to eat."
—
Loading data...
MODERATE RISK
0.40 – 0.69
📊 Verified Numbers — StatCan 2024
880K
Children served daily via 4,900 programs
1 in 3
Children arrives at school hungry daily
+6.7 pts
Demand increase since pandemic
What this score means
Loading...
Please wait while we load the latest data.
⏱️ If this trend continues — what happens next
📊 Data Sources
18.4% of people live in a moderately or severely food-insecure household (2024), up from 11.7% in 2018. Source: Statistics Canada, table 13-10-0835.
Weight 50% · Annual report · breakfastclubcanada.org
Near one person in five. Food insecurity measures people who cannot afford enough food — distinct from rising prices (food inflation).
Weight 30% · Annual · foodbankscanada.ca
"school breakfast program canada" + "free school lunch canada" search volume. Real-time proxy between official report publications.
Weight 20% · Weekly · trends.google.com · Web Search · Canada
🔗 How this indicator works
01
Family food budget is cut first — before rent, utilities or clothing. Children's lunches are often the first visible signal of household financial stress.
02
Rapid rise since 2021 — the moderate/severe rate climbed from 11.7% (2018) to 18.4% (2024), tracking the post-2021 inflation wave.
03
School performance deteriorates — hungry children show measurable increases in attention difficulties, behavioral problems and absenteeism within 4-6 weeks.
04
Health and social effects — food insecurity is linked to worse physical and mental health outcomes, especially for households with children. Documented by StatCan and PROOF (University of Toronto).
⚠️ Data Transparency Note
The score is derived from Statistics Canada, table 13-10-0835-01 (vector v1288342809) — the share of people in moderately or severely food-insecure households, via the Canadian Income Survey. This is an annual publication, updated automatically. No invented numbers.
Methodology
Normalized 0–1 score based on the national rate of moderate or severe food insecurity (StatCan). Scale: ≤6% → low; 10–15% → concerning; 15–20% → high (current ~18%); >20% → critical. The rate rose from 11.7% (2018) to 18.4% (2024). This indicator is distinct from food inflation (which measures prices).
🦫
The Beaver Says
"Loading..."