Canada’s national statistics agency quietly dropped a Christmas gift for analysts this morning. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows household debt-to-income (DTI) climbed sharply in Q3—but the real insight was a bonus DTI normalized for US comparison. The agency notes that American households saw their ratio peak in 2007, while Canadians kept piling on debt until […]
Global household debt is falling, but Canada is bucking the trend—and it’s not good news. The Institute of International Finance’s (IIF) latest update shows global household debt-to-GDP fell in Q3 2025, continuing a general trend since the financial crisis. BMO Capital Markets warns Canada is one of the few exceptions, with its households now the […]
Canadian households are borrowing as rates come down, but not in the way many anticipated. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows household debt made an unusually sharp climb in September. That growth wasn’t driven by mortgages—even though they make up the bulk of household credit. Even the mortgage growth that did occur likely reflects old commitments, […]
Canada’s central bank has been slashing rates to get households to borrow, and mission accomplished. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows household debt climbed aggressively in February. Growth may seem slow relative to the recent low rate frenzy, but debt is being racked up at twice the rate seen in 2019. Despite weak home sales, […]
Canadian households may feel economic uncertainty, but the good news keeps rolling in. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows that household net worth made a big jump in Q4 2024. In fact, every quarter in 2024 saw households gain more wealth as higher rates suppressed debt while wealth growth advanced. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a win […]
The Canadian economy has outperformed the central bank’s expectations for months now. That didn’t stop the Bank of Canada (BoC) from slashing the overnight rate by 0.25 points to 2.75% this morning. Since this easing cycle began 9 months ago, the key policy rate has been reduced by 2.25 points, making it one of the […]
Canada’s last job report didn’t have a frenzy of good news, but there was one highlight—wage growth. That was the take from BMO Capital Markets, who wrote to investors this morning about the substantial wage growth in February. Even with inflation set to rise and erode some of that growth, workers saw their weekly pay […]
Canada has some of the most highly indebted households in the world, and they may be approaching their breaking point. Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) data shows December was one of the busiest in years for consumer insolvencies. The year ended with the most filings since 2009, growing at a pace similar to […]
Canada’s economy is slowing down but that’s not deterring households from borrowing. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows growth of household debt accelerated in November. The move was led by higher demand for mortgage credit which has accelerated over the past year, but still remains below historic levels. Canadian Household Debt Tops $3.02 Trillion Canadian […]
Canada’s central bank sees the economy getting a big boost from falling rates. The latest Bank of Canada (BoC) forecast shows real gross domestic product (GDP) rising sharply next year. Falling rates are expected to drive a big jump in housing investment, boosting real GDP. Not surprising, most of the real estate industry also expects […]
