Canada’s wealthiest households captured their largest share of national net worth since 2020 last year, as a stock market surge widened the divide between equity holders and households whose wealth sits in real estate and mortgage debt.
Statistics Canada shows the top 20% held 65.7% of Canada’s total net worth in Q4 2025, averaging $3.54 million per household — up 6% year-over-year, a gain of roughly $201,400. The bottom 40% held just 3%, averaging $81,650 — up 2.1%, or $1,700. The wealthiest households gained 120 times more in absolute dollars.
Flashback: In Canada, The Wealth Gap Is All About Homeownership
Sponsored · Selkirk Copper Mines
The split came down to asset mix. Overall household net worth rose 5.3%, driven entirely by a 9.9% jump in financial assets — primarily equities. Real estate fell 0.7% while mortgage debt grew 4.2%, leaving households concentrated in housing with a shrinking asset and a growing liability.
The income gap followed the same trajectory. The disposable income share gap between the top and bottom 40% reached 46.7 percentage points, up from 46.4 the year prior. Lower-income households saw below-average wage growth and a sharper decline in investment income as interest rates fell.
The bottom quintile’s position is worse than the headline figures show. The lowest 20% collectively hold -0.1% of total wealth — 3.45 million households that, summed together, have less than nothing.
Oxfam Canada’s January 2026 report counted roughly 89 Canadian billionaires, with their collective wealth up more than 20% over the year. The top 40 billionaires added $95 billion between them.
The Bank of Canada’s rate stood at 2.25% at the end of 2025, down a full percentage point year-over-year. The Bank itself has acknowledged that low rates raise competition for homes and push prices up. In 2025, as in prior cycles, the gains went to whoever was already holding the right assets.
Information for this story was found via the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
