Report: cost of groceries projected to go up nearly a thousand dollars a year for family of four

Ottawa shoppers won’t find relief from high grocery prices next year. As CTV’s Natalie van Rooy reports, a new report warns food prices will increase in 2026.

The cost of groceries is projected to go up once again next year, as experts predict relief is not in sight after years of inflation and rising food prices.

For Joey van Benthem, a trip to the grocery store means hundreds of dollars out of pocket.

“It’s a little bit crazy right now,” said van Benthem. “It’s just that everything is really expensive and you don’t get very much for your money anymore.”

Van Benthem says his family is able to afford it, but it’s not easy.

“Spending a 1000 to 2000 bucks a month on groceries bothers me because that’s a lot of money,” he said. “I think we just need help in the grocery department because we do well for ourselves and we find it difficult so I can only imagine people on lower incomes.”

A family of four will pay about $994 more for food in 2026 according to the latest food price report produced by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab and several other universities. That’s an estimated bill of $17,500 annually.

“In 2026, inflation will go up because of meat yet again,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab. “Beef prices are just out of control and they won’t normalize until probably 2027 at this point.”

Some of the leading reasons for the increase in price are trade and climate change.

“It’s definitely tough,” said Charlotte Panetta, who was shopping in the Ottawa area on Thursday. “Things can’t really keep on going as they are because things are too expensive to live at this point.”

“Well, we have to eat. It is what it is,” said Beth Cameron, who was shopping in the Ottawa area on Thursday. “I look at the fliers.”

The inflation rate for food is projected to be four to six per cent next year, up from four per cent this year.

“My boys have a P.A. day tomorrow so it’s a lot of junk food,” said Mike Brookes, who was shopping on Thursday. “It was expensive to begin with, but it really has gone up since I shopped in the past and close to $200 for these four bags.”

The authors of the latest food price report say tariffs are not expected to impact food prices as much going into next year. Canada lifted almost all counter-tariffs against the U.S. in September. Meanwhile, President Trump eliminated tariffs on more than 200 food products recently. Experts say the spike in prices is anticipated even as trade-related price pressures decrease.

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