Household borrowing declines as mortgage demand slows
The net worth of Canadian households rose 2.9% in the second quarter of 2026 to eclipse $19 trillion. Seasonally adjusted household credit market borrowing shed $5.0 billion in the second quarter, slowing to $29.4 billion. Mortgage borrowing dropped for the second consecutive quarter, down to $19.4 billion in the second quarter, the slowest pace of borrowing since the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, the household debt service ratio declined to 14.52% in the second quarter of 2026, dropping by 0.16 percentage points.
Source: National balance sheet and financial flow accounts, second quarter 2026
Zero-emission vehicles account for more than 1 in 10 new motor vehicle registrations
Canadians registered 547,673 new motor vehicles in the second quarter, the highest level since the second quarter of 2019. In the second quarter of 2026, new motor vehicle registrations were up 1.1% from the second quarter of 2025 and 37.7% from the first quarter of 2026. In the second quarter, 58,811 new zero-emission vehicles were registered, representing a 26.7% increase from the same quarter a year earlier.
Source: New motor vehicle registrations, second quarter 2026
Canola stocks rise while crush continues to expand
Total stocks for wheat, canola, dry peas, lentils and oats were up as of July 31, while stocks of barley were down compared with the same date one year earlier. Total stocks of canola increased 18.9% year over year to 1.9 million tonnes as of July 31 due to higher on-farm stocks, rising 121.4%. Industrial use, mostly for crushing, hit record levels once again, rising 13.0% to 12.9 million tonnes as the processing industry continued to expand to meet demands for renewable fuels.
Higher income associated with a greater likelihood of first birth
In 2023, women in the top family income quintile had a 14.1% likelihood of having a first child—more than double the 5.6% among women in the bottom quintile. In 2017, women in the highest-income group were 2.1 times as likely to have their first child as those in the lowest-income group. By 2023, this ratio had widened to 2.5.
Source: Economic characteristics and the likelihood of first birth, 2017 to 2023
Canada’s literacy scores are above Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average
In 2022, 14% of those aged 16 to 65 years in Canada had literacy scores at levels 4 and 5, compared with an average of 11% among the 27 participating Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Canadians aged 25 to 34 held the highest literacy scores, while those aged 55 to 65 had the lowest. Literacy is one of the targets for measuring progress towards quality education. The proportion of Canadians aged 16 to 65 in the three lowest levels of proficiency was 49% in 2022, largely unchanged from 2012.
Source: Canada’s literacy rates: Getting a read on the data
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).