Saskatchewan food banks seeing 5% increase in demand, report says

Saskatchewan food banks say they are seeing an increase in demand, as a new nationwide report points to an uptick in food bank clients across the country.

A new report on food bank usage across the country is revealing an overall uptick in demand, with Saskatchewan seeing a five-per cent increase from last year.

The annual HungerCount report released by Food Banks Canada says nearly 2.2 million people visited food banks across the country in March 2025 — nearly double the amount from March 2019.

In Saskatchewan, an average of 55,310 people visited a food bank per month this year, with single people, renters and those living off social assistance the most highly represented.

The executive director of a Saskatoon food bank says her organization is seeing around 23,000 people per month, up from around 17,000 people in 2019.

“It’s perhaps been a little bit slower than what you see nationally, but we definitely are seeing an increase in folks who are working using the food bank and the increase in seniors using food banks,” said Laurie O’Connor of Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre.

While unemployment typically acted as a shield against food insecurity, this year’s report shows a different story, with workers making up nearly a fifth of food bank clients.

“Folks who were donating before are now turning to food banks,” said O’Connor.

In Regina, food bank demand is also on the rise, with an increase of about 20 per cent since last year, said John Bailey, Regina Food Bank CEO.