(Toronto, ON) – Toronto food banks recorded more than four million visits for a second year, while one in eight children now lives in a household that uses a food bank, according to Daily Bread’s Who’s Hungry 2026 report.

The child figure compares with one in 15 in 2022. Daily Bread’s report summary says housing costs remain a central pressure: after paying for housing, clients have a median $8.33 per person per day for food and other essentials. One in four clients spends all their income on housing.

Those figures describe people using food banks, not every Toronto household. They also show why a stable headline visit count does not necessarily mean families have regained financial security.

The detailed report puts visits at 4.06 million, compared with 4.12 million the previous year. Both round to 4.1 million. Visits are repeat service encounters, not a count of four million different people.

The reporting period matters. Client records cover April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, across Daily Bread and North York Harvest member food banks. The total is not a forecast for the full 2026 calendar year.

A separate survey ran from March 24 to April 30, 2026. Researchers retained 4,240 responses after excluding incomplete, duplicate or non-consenting submissions. Among respondents living with children, 28 per cent reported a child missing a meal in the previous three months because money was short.

Daily Bread is calling for housing and income measures, including stronger renter support and ongoing municipal investment to preserve affordable homes. These are the charity’s recommendations, not newly enacted benefits.

Residents who need food can use Daily Bread’s location finder to check nearby programs, opening hours and closures. Its website also provides appointment booking and registration, with help available at 416-203-0050, extension 1.

This account is based on the published report and service information. TNC did not conduct the survey or interview its participants.

Accompanying image: editorial illustration.

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