Canada’s Food Price Report forecasts Canadian families will spend up to $994 more on food in 2026

Canada’s Food Price Report (CFPR) 2026 forecasts that overall food prices will increase by 4% to 6%. The average family of four is expected to spend $17,571.79 on food in 2026, an increase of up to $994.63 from last year. Food prices are 27 per cent higher than they were five years ago. Annual food price increases are currently within the range predicted in the 2025 report (4%), however meat increased at a faster rate than predicted (5% to 7%). Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Québec are forecasted to experience food price increases above the national average next year.

This marks the 16th edition of Canada's Food Price Report (CFPR), an annual publication produced collaboratively by Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University, University of Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton University, the University of Guelph, the University of Alberta, Université Laval and the University of Saskatchewan. Each of these universities contributes to enriching the report's scope and regional expertise. The report provides readers with predictions on estimated annual food expenditures based on age/gender to improve their personal and household budgeting. The 2026 edition of CFPR used one broad, systemized approach to forecasting, employing a suite of predictive analysis models that factored in key regressors (such as climate change and geopolitical information).

“Despite steadier inflation, Canadian families are still feeling the squeeze at the grocery store,” says Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, project lead, Dalhousie University. “Our forecast for 2026 makes one thing clear: food affordability will remain a major pressure point in the year ahead.”