The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has calculated that Sunday, February 8th, 2026, marks this year’s Food Freedom Day, the date by which the average Canadian household will have earned enough income to cover its entire annual grocery costs.
Each year, CFA tracks how much of their disposable income Canadians dedicate to food and beverages. The goal is to help consumers understand how food affordability is shifting year over year.
In 2025, Canadians spent 10.8% of their disposable income on food, a slight increase from 10.7% in 2024. As a result, Food Freedom Day falls on the same date as last year: February 8th.
While Canada continues to offer relatively affordable food by global standards, several consecutive years of food inflation have reshaped the lived reality for many families. Average disposable income figures don’t fully reflect the pressure that rising food costs place on households, especially those with lower incomes. Global disruptions and inflationary pressures have further strained food affordability and food security across the country.
This context is especially important as we approach a review of the CUSMA trade agreement. With most food products currently exempt from tariffs under the agreement, any shift could significantly raise costs for consumers. Maintaining stable, predictable, and open trade, while exploring opportunities for regulatory alignment, is essential to protecting the integrated North American agri-food supply chains that help keep food prices manageable.
To help illustrate how food affordability differs across income levels, CFA continues to analyze Food Freedom Day through a household-income quintile lens.
Source : CFA-FCA