Canadian Credit Market Reaches $2.5 Trillion in Outstanding Balances, with Gen Z Canadians Accounting for 10% of Credit Growth

Core Insights - The Canadian credit market experienced mixed outcomes in Q1 2025, with growth driven by increased borrowing from young Canadians and newcomers, while subprime consumers faced rising delinquency rates [1][2][3] Group 1: Credit Market Growth - Total outstanding credit debt in Canada reached $2.5 trillion in Q1 2025, reflecting a 4.7% year-over-year growth [2] - Gen Z consumers contributed significantly to this growth, with their outstanding balances increasing by 30.6% year-over-year, accounting for $12 billion or 10.3% of total new balance growth [3] - New Canadians added $2.6 billion in new credit balances, marking a 6.3% increase year-over-year [3] Group 2: Consumer Behavior and Risk Tiers - Non-mortgage debt grew by 2.4%, with below prime average consumer balances increasing by 4.4%, and subprime consumers seeing the highest increase at 6.3% [5] - The average non-mortgage balances per consumer varied across risk tiers, with subprime consumers averaging $23,638, reflecting a 6.3% year-over-year increase [6] - Serious delinquency rates for consumers 60 days or more delinquent rose by 11 basis points year-over-year to 2.71% in Q1 2025, influenced by the influx of new-to-credit consumers [15] Group 3: Regional Disparities - There are significant regional differences in delinquency trends, with Alberta experiencing the highest delinquency rates due to economic volatility, while Quebec had the lowest [17][18] - Average debt per borrower varied by province, with P.E.I. and Newfoundland having the highest average debt levels, which may increase vulnerability to financial strain [9] Group 4: Economic Conditions and Consumer Credit Index - The Canada Consumer Credit Index dropped to 100.3, down almost 6 points from the previous year, indicating muted credit demand amid economic uncertainty [12] - Economic conditions have led to a widening financial divide among credit consumers, with some benefiting from improved inflation and interest rates while others continue to face challenges [14]