Nearly 1 in 4 Canadian households live in unaffordable housing, StatCan says

ECONOMY Nearly 1 in 4 Canadian households live in unaffordable housing, StatCan says By Uday Rana Global News Posted September 21, 2026 12:31 pm 1 min read WATCH ABOVE: Royal LePage survey: Canadian homeowners bracing for higher mortgage payments – Aug 20, 2026 LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE Housing affordability just worsened for a growing share of Canadians, new data from Statistics Canada shows. Nearly one in four (23.2 per cent) Canadian households were living in unaffordable housing in 2024, compared to 22 per cent in 2022, Statistics Canada said in a report on Monday. Statistics Canada defined households living in “unaffordable” housing as those that spent 30 per cent or more of their income on shelter costs. Renters (33.7 per cent) were more likely than homeowners (17.4 per cent) to live in unaffordable housing, the report said. In 2024, more than one -third (36.6 per cent) of all households in Canada were homeowners with a mortgage, while 27.8 per cent were homeowners without a mortgage. Get breaking Montreal news Get breaking Montreal news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. SIGN UP FOR BREAKING MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. Another 31.3 per cent were renters in the private market. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT 4:43 Mortgage outlook after Bank of Canada rate hold Stick to the Facts Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. Affordability worsened for homeowners with a mortgage as well, with more than one-quarter (26.1 per cent) of living in unaffordable housing, up from 23.6 per cent in 2022. MORE ON ECONOMY MORE VIDEOS Trump says he wants potash from Belarus for ‘subtantially less’ than Canada Diesel prices skyrocket, Manitoba consumers will feel impact Canada and the EU want an energy alliance. What would it look like? A paid skilled trade placement program is coming for Canadian youth Higher mortgage rates following the lows during COVID-19 pandemic meant many homeowners renewed their mortgages at high rates in 2024, with more than one in three (36.2 per cent) of homeowners with a mortgage reporting financial difficulty due to mortgage costs. This was up 7.9 per cent…