As you browse Canadian supermarket aisles and manage the stress of high food prices, do you ever wonder what grocery prices were like in the past?
We decided to go back — all the way back to 2002, in fact — to see how much the average Canadian spent on 10 popular food items. Using data from Statistics Canada’s website, we compared prices in 2002 and 2022 to the cost of goods today.
According to a report on trends in employment and wages, the average hourly pay in 2002 was $19.69. By 2022, the average Canadian earned $31.37 per hour. According to the latest Statistics Canada job survey, the average hourly wage in Canada in 2024 is $34.94 — a $1.69 increase compared to last year.
Despite this increase, Canadians today are struggling with rising food prices, with some finding ways to cut down their grocery bills or even skip meals altogether.
Per Statistics Canada’s Food Price Report, the average Canadian family of four is expected to spend $16,297.20 on food in 2024, an increase of up to $701.79 from last year.
To compare, we decided to go with Walmart food prices for consistency, but in some cases, the size per package varied. Here’s how much these 10 items would have cost you in 2002 and 2022, compared to current prices.
Bacon
calimedia/Shutterstock
2002: $4.12 (500 g)
2022: $8.55 (500 g)
2024: $6.97 (375 g)
Sirloin steak
Evgeny Karandaev/Shutterstock
2002: $13.92 (1 kg)
2022: $26.39 (1 kg)
2024: $21.60 (1 kg)
Flour
VH-studio/Shutterstock
2002: $3.38 (2.5 kg)
2022: $4.65 (2.5 kg)
2024: $5.97 (2.5 kg)
Sugar
Africa Studio/Shutterstock
2002: $2.41 (2 kg)
2022: $2.67 (2 kg)
2024: $3.27 (2 kg)
Coffee, roasted
VasiliyBudarin/Shutterstock
2002: $2.93 (2 kg)
2022: $5.61 (2 kg)
2024: $9.97 (907 g)
Onions
art4you1/Shutterstock
2002: $1.09 (1 kg)
2022: $2.37 (1 kg)
2024: $3.97 (1.3 kg)
Potatoes
nathiyai/Shutterstock
2002: $4.22 (4.54 kg)
2022: $10.33 (4.54 kg)
2024: $7.97 (4.54 kg)
Bread
Kritchai7752/Shutterstock
2002: $1.53 (675 g)
2022: $3 (675 g)
2024: $3.67 (675 g)
Eggs (dozen)
Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock
2002: $2.09
2022: $3.87
2024: $4.48
Butter
Plateresca/Shutterstock
2002: $3.41 (454 g)
2022: $5.67 (454 g)
2024: $6.88 (454 g)
TOTAL
Ultraskrip/Shutterstock
2002: $39.10
2022: $73.11
2024: $74.75
Sirloin steak and potatoes appear to have gotten cheaper compared to 2022 (at least at Walmart); however, items such as flour and coffee have significant price hikes.
What do you think about how much food prices have increased over the years? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Isabelle Docto