Data shows the number of delinquent mortgages in Ontario is up this year while Brampton has the highest rate in the country – more than twice the Canada-wide average.

The numbers come from Equifax and show mortgage delinquencies jumping 52 per cent in Ontario during the first quarter of 2026, with missed payments up to 0.36 per cent from 0.24 per cent year-over-year.

But in Brampton, delinquent payments have hit 0.64 per cent in Q1 of 2026, up from 0.6 per cent at the end of 2025, according to reports.

Pressures adding to the high rate of delinquent mortgages in Brampton include many homeowners renewing properties purchased during the pandemic era at significantly higher rates, declining home value and prices, rising unemployment, and homeowners who stretched affordability during the peak market, according to ontariohousingmarket.com.

And mortgages aren’t the only back debts facing homeowners, with Equifax saying average non-mortgage debt reaching $82,400 – up by 19 per cent compared to 2024.

The percentage of active card users paying less than 25 per cent of their balance each month fell by more than 2 per cent, while the percentage paying their balances in full increased. The percentage of minimum payers also saw a drop, with the biggest reduction seen with consumers aged 26-35 years old.

“Escalating financial strain” on mortgage holders has also added to insolvency rates hitting levels not seen since the 2009 global financial crisis.

Homeowner insolvency volumes jumped by more than 11 per cent from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026, with over 90 per cent of these individuals choosing consumer proposals over bankruptcy, Equifax says.

The number of Canadians who missed at least one credit payment in the first quarter of this year remained stable at 1.5 million, or one in every 21 consumers, something Equifax called “a sign of improvement for many groups of consumers.”

While the 2025 mortgage renewal peak has passed, Equifax says there’s a “significant” level of renewals expected during 2026.

“While the mortgage renewal wave is expected to slow towards the end of 2026, the transition to significantly higher interest rates continues to fuel financial impact and payment pressure. Consequently, ongoing monitoring of debts remains essential for Canadians,” said Rebecca Oakes, VP of advanced analytics at Equifax Canada.


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