Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeWealthCanadian household wealth rose again to more than $18.6 trillion thanks to strength in both stocks and real estateHouseholds added $243 billion to their collective wealth, a 1.3% increase from the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Statistics CanadaLast updated 1 hour ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Canadian households continued to get wealthier overall in the first quarter of 2026 reaching just over $18.6 trillion in the tenth consecutive quarterly increase. Photo by BRUNSWICK NEWS ARCHIVESCanadian households continued to get wealthier overall in the first quarter of 2026 reaching just over $18.6 trillion in the 10th consecutive quarterly increase.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorHouseholds added $243 billion to their collective wealth, a 1.3 per cent increase from the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Statistics Canada’s latest national balance sheet, released Friday. Compared with last quarter, however, net worth gains were boosted by increases in both financial and non-financial assets.Non-financial assets (which include residential real estate) were up 1.1 per cent overall in the first quarter of 2026 after two consecutive quarters of declines, while financial assets (such as stocks) grew 1.3 per cent.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againToronto-Dominion (TD) Bank economist Maria Solovieva said declining home prices over previous quarters may have enticed those sitting on the sidelines to enter the market, driving residential real estate values higher.The national average sale price was up 2.2 per cent on a year-over-year basis in April, according to the latest data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).“This (upcoming) quarter, we’re expecting some strength in home prices,” Solovieva said. “It’s a reflection, mostly, of some recovery in the housing market after a fairly low slump.”However, Kari Norman, senior economist at Desjardins Group, said there is a “bifurcation” between higher-cost metros such as Toronto and Vancouver where home prices have been falling since 2022 but may have hit their bottom, compared with the rest of the country which has seen price increases over the past three years.Meanwhile, financial assets grew at their lowest quarterly pace since a year ago, likely influenced by the downswing in markets in March, Solovieva said. “The conflict in the Middle East … was the biggest factor in the first quarter.”Weakness in U.S. equities was offset by the S&P/TSX Composite index gaining 3.3 per cent during the first quarter. The resource-heavy TSX benefited from growth in the energy sector amid the spike in oil prices due to the conflict in Iran, said Norman.“We are continuing to expect strong gains in stock markets for both the Canadian market and south of the border, and that is likely to continue to support household net worth,” she said, adding that growth in artificial intelligence has been bolstering the U.S. stock market.Energy cost pressures may have also weighed on the household savings rate, which dropped to 3.5 per cent — the lowest savings rate since the first quarter of 2024 — as household spending outpaced disposable income, Solovieva said.However, the savings rate is still “relatively healthy” especially in comparison with the quarters of negative savings seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, Solovieva said.Household borrowing increased to $35.5 billion in the first quarter of 2026, despite softening mortgage demand. In fact, net originations of mortgage loans (new loans minus mortgages paid off) plunged to $22.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026, the slowest pace of borrowing since the first quarter of 2024 and the biggest quarterly decline since the fourth quarter of 2023.Non-mortgage debt (which includes lines of credit and auto and student loans) picked up instead, offsetting reduced mortgage demand.The household debt service ratio — measured as total obligated payments of principal and interest on credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income — rose after two consecutive quarterly declines.Household credit market debt was more than $3.2 trillion in the first quarter of 2026 and the ratio of this debt as a proportion of household disposable income increased for the sixth consecutive quarter to 179.6 per cent.The household debt service ratio (which includes total obligated payments of principal and interest on credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income) rose to 14.75 per cent as debt outpaced income, which Norman said could come down to the mortgage renewal wave hitting homeowners with higher payments. Mortgage interest payments edged up 0.9 per cent in the first quarter, following declines in the previous two quarters.Soloveiva said TD is expecting some stabilization in this measure in the next quarter, though if it rises over 15 per cent, that could be cause for some alarm.“Households continue to be in a relatively healthy position in the face of significant economic shocks,” said Bank of Montreal senior economist Shelly Kaushik in a note. “The slow grind higher in debt levels bears watching as the Bank of Canada debates the direction of monetary policy, but for now, we’re not seeing warning signs of significant vulnerability.” Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.