One in five Canadians makes painful choices for the sake of food
Young people are four times more likely to skip paying bills in order to buy groceries.
A study conducted by Nanos Research has revealed a troubling trend in the financial situation of Canadians. According to the data, one in five people in the country had to delay paying their bills over the past year in order to afford groceries.
Young People at Highest Risk
The analysis showed significant differences between age groups. Canadians under 55 are four times more likely to face the need to postpone payments on car loans, credit cards, and electricity bills in order to buy food.
Among respondents aged 18 to 34, 18.1% reported skipping payments sometimes or often. The same figure for people aged 35-54 was 17.9%. Meanwhile, among Canadians over 55, this number is significantly lower—just 4.2%.
"The more prices go up, the more it affects our daily bills"
29-year-old Matthew Batunde shared his observations about the growing pressure of prices on everyday expenses. His friend, 23-year-old Almas Patel, listed the main expense categories that create a financial burden.
Regional Differences
Geographic analysis of the data showed notable differences across regions of the country:
- Atlantic provinces: 24.2% of respondents
- Prairies: 16.5%
- British Columbia: 13.4%
- Ontario: 10.5%
- Quebec: 8.1%
Joshua Smee from Food First NL noted that the data aligns with other regional studies. According to him, more than 25% of the population in all four Atlantic provinces experience food insecurity.
Causes of Financial Difficulties
Chief data officer Nik Nanos identified inflation and high housing costs as the main factors contributing to the generational gap in financial stability.
"This is pretty striking. I think in any other world this would be considered an epidemic"
The expert explained that older Canadians are more often in a more stable financial position: they may not have a mortgage or have a small one, they rely on a pension or savings, and their children are already grown.
Ways to Solve the Problem
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Smee emphasized that experts have already identified ways to address the issue, but Canada needs to stop viewing this as "a charity matter." While food banks and meal programs are necessary in the short term, they represent temporary measures.
"The main thing is getting more money into the pockets of people with the lowest incomes"
As an example, he cited the Canada Child Benefit and suggested raising the minimum wage, since many people working full-time still experience food insecurity.
Study Methodology
The survey was conducted from October 27 to 30 among 1,045 Canadians aged 18 and older. A hybrid telephone and online format was used with dual coverage of landlines and mobile phones. The margin of error for the study is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points.
No significant differences were found between men and women: 12% of men and 12.6% of women reported skipping payments sometimes or often.
