More than three-in-five of the province’s residents have reduced their visits to restaurants since September.
Vancouver, BC [November 15, 2022] – Residents of British Columbia are starting to take action to deal with increasing food prices, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 64% of British Columbians say they have cut back on dining out on the weekend over the past two months, and a slightly smaller proportion (61%) have cut back on buying or going out to lunch on a weekday.
More than half of British Columbians have also cut back on treats (59%) and visits to coffee shops (56%), while more than two-in-five (44%) have switched packaged food brands to lower priced alternatives.
“Only 14% of British Columbians have not made any adjustments to their food budget over the past two months,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “This includes 19% of male residents and 10% of female residents.”
More than four-in-five British Columbians (82%) say the price of groceries has increased since September, and practically seven-in-ten say lunch at a restaurant (69%) and dinner at a restaurant (71%) are more expensive now than they were two months ago.
Almost half of British Columbians (49%) also think the price of food delivery has increased—a proportion that rises to 60% among those aged 18-to-34.
More than three-in-five British Columbians (61%) say their diet has been healthy over the past two months, while just over a third (34%) describe it as unhealthy.
Women (39%), residents of Vancouver Island (40%) and British Columbians in the lowest income bracket (43%) are more likely to report that their diet has not been healthy since September.
More than three-in-five British Columbians who have not followed a healthy diet recently (61%) say an inability to afford healthier foods has negatively impacted their nourishment, while just over half (51%) blame the stress and pressures of daily life getting in the way of good eating habits.
Fewer British Columbians who claim their diet is unhealthy say they find it difficult to make lifestyle changes (38%), lack the time for food preparation at home (33%) or lack the time to buy groceries (16%).
Results are based on an online study conducted from November 6 to November 8, 2022, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca