Key statistics: Healthy eating in Canada

January 1, 2019

Access data on healthy eating, food security and overweight and obesity across Canada

Inside this healthy eating policy pack

Key statistics

  • In Canada, 5.1% of cancer cases are attributable to excess weight.1 
  • In 2016, 30.0% of Canadians aged 12 and older reported that they had consumed fruits and vegetables five or more times per day.2
  • Household food insecurity in Canada is estimated at 7.2% (age standardized, ages 18+), with females experiencing higher rates than males.3
  • Fruit and vegetable consumption also varied by household income. The percentage of Canadians aged 12 and older who consumed fruits and vegetables at least five times daily was highest in households that fell within the highest income quintile (33.0%)2 Vegetable and fruit consumption is related to income quintile, with rates of consumption increasing with income.3

Canadians (aged 18 and over) classified as overweight or obese (2015-2016 combined)

Looking at data from 2015 and 2016, this map and table offers a snapshot of how many Canadians aged 18 and over are classified as overweight and obese by household income quintile, as well as by province, territory and major metropolitan city.

Map of Canada shows percentages broken down by both province or territory, and by 26 major cities (ranked), as follows: British Columbia: 56.8% province-wide; 58.5% in Victoria (ranked 8th); 52.1% in Greater Vancouver (ranked 2nd); and 45.2% in City of Vancouver (ranked 1st). Alberta: 65.1% province-wide; 64.6% in Edmonton (ranked 18th); and 62.7% in Calgary (ranked 14th). Saskatchewan: 69.7% province-wide; 66.1% in Saskatoon (ranked 22nd); and 69.1% in Regina (ranked 25th). Manitoba: 64.6% province-wide; 61% in Winnipeg (ranked 12th). Ontario: 61.4% province-wide; 63.5% in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (ranked 15th); 60% in Ottawa (ranked 10th); 59.5% in London (ranked 9th); 64% in Oshawa (ranked 16th); 64.9% in St. Catherines-Niagara (ranked 20th); 65.9% in Windsor (ranked 21st); 53.1% in City of Toronto (ranked 3rd); 64.5% in Hamilton (ranked 17th); and 56.4% in Greater Toronto (ranked 5th). Quebec: 60.7% province-wide; 60.1% in Sherbrooke (ranked 11th); 57.4% in Quebec City (ranked 6th); 58% in Greater Montreal (ranked 7th); 55.2% in City of Montreal (ranked 4th); and 61.5% in Greater Ottawa (ranked 13th). New Brunswick: 73.1% province-wide; and 76.1% in Moncton (ranked 26th). Nova Scotia: 69.4% province wide; and 64.8% in Halifax (ranked 19th). Prince Edward Island: 70.8% province-wide; and 69% in Urban PEI (ranked 24th). Newfoundland & Labrador: 73% province-wide; and 67.5% in St. John's (ranked 23rd). Yukon Territory: 67.4% territory-wide Northwest Territories: 72.5% territory-wide Nunavut: 62.4% territory-wide NOTES: Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey. Obese or overweight is classified based on respondent's adjusted BMI, using international standard. Females aged 18-55 who were pregnant or did not answer the pregnancy questions were excluded from the analysis. Territories were not included in the income analysis.

Data tables: Canadians (aged 18 and over) classified as overweight or obese (2015-2016 combined) by province and territory

Province or territory Percentage of Canadians aged 18 and over classified as overweight and obese
Newfoundland & Labrador 73%
Prince Edward Island 70.8%
Nova Scotia 69.4%
New Brunswick 73.1%
Quebec 60.7%
Ontario 61.4%
Manitoba 64.6%
Saskatchewan 69.7%
Alberta 65.1%
British Columbia 56.8%
Yukon Territory 67.4%
Northwest Territories 72.5%
Nunavut 62.4%

Data tables: Canadians (aged 18 and over) classified as overweight or obese (2015-2016 combined) by metropolitan area, ranked

Large metropolitan area Performance rank a Percentage of Canadians aged 18 and over classified as overweight and obese
City of Vancouver, BC 1 45.2%
Greater Vancouver, BC 2 52.1%
City of Toronto, ON 3 53.1%
City of Montreal, QC 4 55.2%
Greater Toronto, ON 5 56.4%
Quebec City, QC 6 57.4%
Greater Montreal, QC 7 58%
Victoria, BC 8 58.5%
London, ON 9 59.5%
Ottawa, ON 10 60%
Sherbrooke, QC 11 60.1%
Winnipeg, MB 12 61%
Greater Ottawa, QC 13 61.5%
Calgary, AB 14 62.7%
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, ON 15 63.5%
Oshawa, ON 16 64%
Hamilton, ON 17 64.5%
Edmonton, AB 18 64.6%
Halifax, NS 19 64.8%
St. Catherines-Niagara, ON 20 64.9%
Windsor, ON 21 65.9%
Saskatoon, SK 22 66.1%
St. John’s, NL 23 67.5%
Urban PEI 24 69%
Regina, SK 25 69.1%
Moncton, NB 26 76.1%

NOTES

a Percentages are ranked from the lowest to highest
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey.
Obese or overweight is classified based on respondent’s adjusted BMI, using international standard. Females aged 18-55 who were pregnant or did not answer the pregnancy questions were excluded from the analysis.
Territories were not included in the income analysis.

Canadians (aged 12 and over) reporting consuming fruit or vegetables five or more times daily (2015-2016 combined)

Looking at data from 2015 and 2016, this map and table offers a snapshot of how many adult Canadians aged 12 and over report consuming fruit or vegetables more than five or more time a day by household income quintile, as well as by province, territory and major metropolitan city.

Map of Canada shows percentages broken down by both province or territory, and by 26 major cities (ranked), as follows: British Columbia: 30.8% province-wide; 36.9% in Victoria (ranked 4th); 29.6% in Greater Vancouver (ranked 13th); and 27.6% in City of Vancouver (ranked 16th). Alberta: 30% province-wide; 30.3% in Edmonton (ranked 9th); and 20.7% in Calgary (ranked 12th). Saskatchewan: 28.2% province-wide; 30.1% in Saskatoon (ranked 11th); and 27.6% in Regina (ranked 16th). Manitoba: 27.3% province-wide; 26.7% in Winnipeg (ranked 18th). Ontario: 27.8% province-wide; 33.4% in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (ranked 7th); 32.8% in Ottawa (ranked 8th); 30.2% in London (ranked 10th); 27.9% in Oshawa (ranked 15th); 26.8% in St. Catherines-Niagara (ranked 17th); 25.6% in Windsor (ranked 21st); 24.9% in City of Toronto (ranked 23rd); 26.4% in Hamilton (ranked 20th); and 26.4% in Greater Toronto (ranked 20th). Quebec: 38.6% province-wide; 42.9% in Sherbrooke Map of Canada shows percentages broken down by both province or territory, and by 26 major cities (ranked), as follows: British Columbia: 56.8% province-wide; 58.5% in Victoria (ranked 8th); 52.1% in Greater Vancouver (ranked 2nd); and 45.2% in City of Vancouver (ranked 1st). Alberta: 65.1% province-wide; 64.6% in Edmonton (ranked 18th); and 62.7% in Calgary (ranked 14th). Saskatchewan: 69.7% province-wide; 66.1% in Saskatoon (ranked 22nd); and 69.1% in Regina (ranked 25th). Manitoba: 64.6% province-wide; 61% in Winnipeg (ranked 12th). Ontario: 61.4% province-wide; 63.5% in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (ranked 15th); 60% in Ottawa (ranked 10th); 59.5% in London (ranked 9th); 64% in Oshawa (ranked 16th); 64.9% in St. Catherines-Niagara (ranked 20th); 65.9% in Windsor (ranked 21st); 53.1% in City of Toronto (ranked 3rd); 64.5% in Hamilton (ranked 17th); and 56.4% in Greater Toronto (ranked 5th). Quebec: 60.7% province-wide; 60.1% in Sherbrooke (ranked 11th); 57.4% in Quebec City (ranked 6th); 58% in Greater Montreal (ranked 7th); 55.2% in City of Montreal (ranked 4th); and 61.5% in Greater Ottawa (ranked 13th). New Brunswick: 73.1% province-wide; and 76.1% in Moncton (ranked 26th). Nova Scotia: 69.4% province wide; and 64.8% in Halifax (ranked 19th). Prince Edward Island: 70.8% province-wide; and 69% in Urban PEI (ranked 24th). Newfoundland & Labrador: 73% province-wide; and 67.5% in St. John's (ranked 23rd). Yukon Territory: 67.4% territory-wide Northwest Territories: 72.5% territory-wide Nunavut: 62.4% territory-wide (ranked 1st); 39.9% in Quebec City (ranked 2nd); 37.8% in Greater Montreal (ranked 3rd); 36.5% in City of Montreal (ranked 5th); and 34.2% in Greater Ottawa (ranked 6th). New Brunswick: 27% province-wide; and 27.9% in Moncton (ranked 15th). Nova Scotia: 24.1% province wide; and 25.2% in Halifax (ranked 22nd). Prince Edward Island: 28.8% province-wide; and 28.4% in Urban PEI (ranked 14th). Newfoundland & Labrador: 20.4% province-wide; and 26.6% in St. John's (ranked 19th). Yukon Territory: 28.5% territory-wide Northwest Territories: 24.9% territory-wide Nunavut: 25.2% territory-wide Graphic also features a bar-chart showing percentage of consumption by income quintile: Q1 (lowest income): 28% Q2: 30% Q3: 31% Q4: 32% Q5 (highest income): 33%

Data tables: Canadians (aged 12 and over) reporting consuming fruit or vegetables five or more times daily (2015-2016 combined) by province and territory

Province or territory Percentage of Canadians aged 12 and over consuming fruit or vegetables five or more times daily
Newfoundland & Labrador 20.4%
Prince Edward Island 28.8%
Nova Scotia 30%
New Brunswick 27%
Quebec 38.6%
Ontario 27.8%
Manitoba 27.3%
Saskatchewan 24.1%
Alberta 28.2%
British Columbia 30.8%
Yukon Territory 28.5%
Northwest Territories 24.9%
Nunavut 22.5%

Data tables: Canadians (aged 12 and over) reporting consuming fruit or vegetables five or more times daily (2015-2016 combined) by metropolitan area, ranked

Large metropolitan area Performance ranka Percentage of Canadians aged 12 and over consuming fruit or vegetables five or more times daily
Sherbrooke, QC 1 42.9%
Quebec City, QC 2 39.9%
Greater Montreal, QC 3 37.8%
Victoria, BC 4 36.9%
City of Montreal, QC 5 36.5%
Greater Ottawa, QC 6 34.2%
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, ON 7 33.4%
Ottawa, ON 8 32.8%
Edmonton, AB 9 30.3%
London, ON 10 30.2%
Saskatoon, SK 11 30.1%
Calgary, AB 12 20.7%
Greater Vancouver, BC 13 29.6%
Urban PEI 14 28.4%
Oshawa, ON T 15 27.9%
Moncton, NB T 15 27.9%
Regina, SK T 17 27.6%
City of Vancouver, BC T 17 27.6%
St. Catharines-Niagara, ON 19 26.8%
Winnipeg, MB 20 26.7%
St. John’s, NL 21 26.6%
Hamilton, ON T 22 26.4%
Greater Toronto, ON T 22 26.4%
Windsor, ON 24 25.6%
Halifax, NS 25 25.2%
City of Toronto, ON 26 24.9%

NOTES

a Percentages are ranked from the lowest to highest
T Tie in ranking
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey.
Territories were not included in the income analysis.

References

1 Krueger, H. Andres, E. N., Koot, J. M. & Reilly, B. D. (2016). The economic burden of cancers attributable to tobacco smoking, excess weight, alcohol use, and physical inactivity in Canada. Current Oncology, 23(4). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3747/co.23.2952

2 Statistics Canada. (2017). Health fact sheets: Fruit and vegetable consumption, 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2017001/article/54860-eng.htm

3 Public health Agency of Canada. Health inequities data tool. Retrieved from: https://infobase.phac-aspc.gc.ca/health-inequalities/data-tool/

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