The Financial Post reports in its Wednesday, May 13, edition that Canada's total residential mortgage debt surpassed $2.4-trillion in January, 2026, up 4.8 per cent year-over-year, "showing early but contained signs of strain," Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said Tuesday.
The Post's Shantae Campbell writes that CMHC's new report revealed rising unemployment, weakening household finances and higher renewal costs are the leading causes of vulnerability across the mortgage market.
The CMHC described the overall delinquency rate as remaining historically low, but said current conditions "reflect a tension between rising financial stress and shifting incentives."
The national 90-day or more delinquency rate increased to 0.24 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 0.21 per cent a year earlier, creeping up from the pandemic low recorded in the first quarter of 2021 -- the lowest rate on record.
According to CMHC, the increase was driven by "unemployment trends and overall economic conditions," as well as higher interest rates at the time of mortgage renewals and elevated debt in more expensive Canadian cities.
Delinquencies were particularly concentrated in Ontario and were driven by certain regions.
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