麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Canadian consumer debt hits all-time high, reaching $2.32 trillion in Q1 2023: TransUnion

Share

Amid interest rate hikes and high inflation, more Canadians are turning to credit for relief, with consumer debt hitting a new record in the first quarter of 2023.

In a new report released Wednesday by TransUnion, the amount of outstanding debt that Canadians have amassed across all credit products has reached a new record of $2.32 trillion.

The number of Canadians with access to credit increased to 30.6 million, which is up 2.9 per cent from last year. Among existing credit debt, the volume of consumers adding additional credit products increased by 6.2 per cent. TransUnion says this is being driven by Gen Z consumers entering the credit market and new Canadians.

Higher credit balances drove minimum monthly payments higher and put pressure on consumers to use additional disposable income to cover payments in particular mortgages and lines of credit鈥攚hich are vulnerable to interest rate changes.

The average line of credit monthly payment increased to $436, a 43 per cent increase year over year. While the average monthly mortgage payment rose to $2,032, a 15 per cent increase year over year.

The average payment for credit cards was 2.6 times over the minimum required. 鈥淭his is a positive sign indicating healthy consumer behaviors towards their payment obligations,鈥 said TransUnion鈥檚 press release.

The percentage of consumers past due on any account for 90 days or more, also referred to credit delinquency, increased by nine basis points to 1.57 per cent. The report notes that despite the increase, overall delinquency levels remain below pre-pandemic levels.

鈥淎s available disposable incomes become more stretched, we expect a segment of consumers will be more likely to miss payments, and as a result, that delinquency rates will rise,鈥 said Matt Fabian, director of financial services research and consulting at TransUnion in Canada, in a press release Wednesday. 鈥淗owever, we expect any rise in delinquency rates to be moderate and in line with increased credit activity.鈥

TransUnions says it expects delinquency rates in Q1 of 2024 to be back to pre-pandemic levels at 2.19 per cent.

鈥淥verall, the financial position of Canadian credit consumers improved coming out of the pandemic, bolstered by higher savings accumulated through the pandemic and supported by a strong labour market,鈥 added Fabian. 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Mont茅r茅gie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected