Canadian Household Net Worth Surpasses $19 Trillion as Equity Markets Boost Wealth: Statistics Canada

The net worth of Canadian households—the value of all assets minus all liabilities—rose 2.9% in the second quarter of 2026 to eclipse $19 trillion, as a boon in equity markets translated into greater household net worth through higher asset valuations, according to a report by Statistics Canada.

Similarly, stock market performance drove the ratio of financial to non-financial assets to the highest level since 2000 with $1.24 in financial assets for every dollar of non-financial assets. However, the latest release of the Distributions of household economic accounts highlights that 69.0% of all financial assets and 49.7% of non-financial assets are held by the highest wealth quintile. As a result, market gains are not equally shared among Canadian households, said the federal agency.

"On the other side of the ledger, household liabilities, composed primarily of mortgage and non-mortgage debt, rose 1.3% in the second quarter of 2026. Residential mortgage debt represented almost three-quarters of household debt in the second quarter of 2026, while debt as a share of total household assets dipped to the lowest point (14.8%) since the first quarter of 2022," it noted.

"Over the course of the second quarter of 2026, net worth per capita expanded by $13,785, putting the national average at $462,336."

Statistics Canada said the household saving rate improved to 3.7% as household disposable income outpaced spending, allowing households to acquire assets or reduce liabilities. American equity markets bolstered household wealth through portfolio investment appreciation, with household net worth rising half a trillion dollars in the second quarter.

"Households' ability to repay their debts, as measured by the debt service ratio, improved in the second quarter of 2026, decreasing to 14.52%; the ratio peaked at 15.16% in the first quarter of 2023. At the same time, households' indebtedness or leverage, as measured by the debt-to-asset ratio, also improved in the second quarter of 2026, reaching the lowest point in four years largely due to stronger financial markets," it said.