How does your net worth compare with other Canadians your age? This page gives the median and average net worth of Canadian families by age group and province, from Statistics Canada’s Survey of Financial Security (SFS), which last ran in 2023. It’s part of the financial planning hub. Net worth is what a family owns minus what it owes; the net worth calculator explains what counts and adds up your own, and the net worth percentile calculator shows where it ranks, up to the top 1%.
Three things to know about these figures. They’re for family units: Statistics Canada counts relatives who live together (a couple, a parent and children) as one unit, and a person living alone or with non-relatives as a unit of one. Units are grouped by the age of the family’s major income earner. Assets include the market value of the home and the value of employer pension plans. And all dollar amounts are in 2023 dollars, so the 2023 and 2019 columns can be compared directly.
Net worth by age group
| Age of main earner | Median (2023) | Average (2023) | Median (2019, in 2023 dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $159,100 | $459,800 | $56,400 |
| 35 to 44 | $409,300 | $753,500 | $270,800 |
| 45 to 54 | $675,800 | $1,150,800 | $602,000 |
| 55 to 64 | $873,400 | $1,347,300 | $797,000 |
| 65 and over | $738,900 | $1,204,500 | $627,500 |
| All ages | $519,700 | $995,900 | $381,100 |
Source: Statistics Canada, table 11-10-0016-01, Survey of Financial Security.
The median is the middle family: half have more, half less. The average is higher than the median; average vs median net worth explains the gap, and the same page shows the five wealth groups and the top 1%.
Net worth rises through working life, peaks among families whose main earner is 55 to 64, and is lower after 65 as retirees draw on savings. The youngest group saw the largest change between surveys: Statistics Canada reports that real median net worth for families with a main earner under 35 rose 179% from 2019 to 2023.
Home ownership and workplace pensions
Statistics Canada’s release on the 2023 survey gives these contrasts:
- Families with a main earner aged 55 to 64 who owned their home and had an employer pension had a median net worth of about $1.4 million. Those who rented and had no employer pension had a median of $11,900.
- Among families with a main earner under 35, homeowners had a median net worth of $457,100, up $142,800 from 2019. Young families with neither a home nor an employer pension had a median of $27,000.
Employer pension plans are counted in these figures, valued as if the member left the plan (a termination basis); the pension commuted value page explains how a pension’s value is set when a member leaves. How much of Canadian household wealth is housing, and how that has changed since 1999, is on housing’s share of net worth.
Net worth by province
| Province | Median net worth (2023) | Average net worth (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $333,500 | $664,800 |
| Prince Edward Island | $399,800 | $681,100 |
| Nova Scotia | $354,600 | $681,700 |
| New Brunswick | $286,200 | $506,400 |
| Quebec | $371,000 | $752,400 |
| Ontario | $665,600 | $1,165,400 |
| Manitoba | $386,300 | $746,400 |
| Saskatchewan | $394,600 | $824,800 |
| Alberta | $457,100 | $942,800 |
| British Columbia | $773,500 | $1,265,400 |
Median family net worth is highest in British Columbia and lowest in New Brunswick. The liability side, by age and province, is on average household debt in Canada.
Comparing yourself with these numbers
- Match the unit. These are family figures. They combine couples, families with children and people living alone, so your own household may differ from the typical unit.
- Decide whether to include your home. The SFS counts home equity. If you track net worth without it, compare with savings figures instead, such as average savings by age.
- Count pensions. The survey counts the value of employer pension plans, so a defined benefit pension is part of the figures you’re comparing with.
Savings benchmarks for particular ages are on savings by 30 and by 40. The ways families add to net worth over time (saving, investing, reducing debt) are covered in how to build wealth in Canada.
Related tools
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 25, 2026. How we check facts.
- Statistics Canada: Assets and debts held by economic family type, by age group, Canada, provinces and…
- Statistics Canada: The Daily — Survey of Financial Security, 2023