Average Credit Score Canada (2026): What It Is and How You Compare

The average credit score Canada is 760, according to the most recent data from the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO).

That places most Canadians at the lower edge of the "excellent" range on the standard 300–900 scale that Canadian lenders use.

What the 760 Average Actually Tells You in 2026

760 is the number that carries the most weight not because it is a round figure, but because roughly 90% of top Canadian lenders and credit unions rely on FICO Scores when evaluating applications.

That makes it the closest thing to a universal benchmark for what a lender actually sees when you apply for credit in Canada.

That said, you may be looking at a very different number on your banking app or free credit platform right now.

Borrowell's member survey put the average at 672 nearly 90 points lower than FICO's figure. That gap is not an error.

It reflects different scoring models, different data populations, and different bureau sources.

The table below shows the two most commonly cited figures:

Source	Reported Average	Data Basis
FICO	760	Canadian lender and bureau data
Borrowell	672	2 million member survey (2022)

The free score on your app is still a useful guide. It tells you directionally where you stand. It just may not be the number your mortgage lender pulls when you submit an application.

Credit Score Ranges in Canada: What Each Band Means

Canada's credit score range runs from 300 to 900, as outlined in the credit score system overview on Wikipedia.

Equifax and TransUnion Canada's two main credit bureaus define the bands slightly differently, which is part of why the same person can have two different scores on the same day.

TransUnion Range	Equifax Range	Rating	What It Means in Practice
300–692	300–559	Poor	Approval is difficult; expect high interest rates if approved
693–742	560–659	Fair	Some products available, but terms are usually less favourable
743–789	660–724	Good	Considered a reliable borrower by most lenders
790–832	725–759	Very Good	Strong approval odds and more competitive rates
833+	760–900	Excellent	Best rates and widest range of credit products

A perfect 900 is technically possible. In practice, it is extremely rare and unnecessary. Most credit professionals in 2026 treat anything above 660 as a workable score, and above 760 as a genuinely strong one.

Why Equifax and TransUnion Show Different Numbers

Not all lenders report to both bureaus. Updates arrive at different times. Each bureau runs its own internal model.

The result: your Equifax score and your TransUnion score can easily differ by 20, 30, or even 50 points on the same day without anything being wrong.

Why Your Average Credit Score Canada Looks Different on Different Platforms

This is the most common source of confusion Canadians run into, and most articles skim past it.

The short version: what you see on Borrowell, ClearScore, or your bank's app is built from Equifax or TransUnion data.

What your lender sees when you apply for a mortgage or car loan is almost always a FICO Score and that score is not freely available to consumers in Canada.

FICO Scores vs. Consumer-Facing Scores

FICO calculates its scores using five weighted categories of credit bureau data:

Factor	FICO Weight
Payment History	35%
Amounts Owed	30%
Length of Credit History	15%
New Credit	10%
Credit Mix	10%

Consumer-facing scores use similar inputs but apply different formulas and weightings. They are genuinely useful indicators of credit health. They are just not the same number your lender uses.

What this means in 2026: if your Borrowell score reads 695 and you feel confident applying for a mortgage, the lender is almost certainly looking at something different.

The habits that push one score up will push the other up too the numbers just will not match exactly.

Average Credit Score by Age in Canada

Scores rise with age. This is not accidental. Older Canadians carry longer credit histories and more years of on-time repayment behind them both of which are heavily weighted in every scoring model used in Canada.

The data below comes from Equifax and represents the most recent publicly available age-segmented breakdown.

Exact figures shift over time, but the pattern is stable and consistent with how credit scoring logic works.

Age Group	Average Credit Score
18–25 (Young Adults)	692
26–35 (Adults)	697
36–45 (Middle-Aged)	710
46–65 (Pre-Retirement)	718
65+ (Seniors)	750

A 24-year-old sitting at 692 is not in trouble. They simply have not had enough time to build the depth of history that pushes scores into the 740s and above. With consistent habits, that changes gradually but reliably.

Average Credit Score by Province and City in Canada

Regional variation is larger than most Canadians expect. The figures below come from Borrowell's member survey data and represent the most granular publicly available breakdown by province and city.

They reflect Borrowell's user base, not the full Canadian population, but the directional patterns are consistent with broader credit data.

Province	Provincial Average	Major City	City Average
Ontario	686	Toronto	696
British Columbia	694	Vancouver	705
Alberta	658	Calgary	667
Quebec	678	Montreal	687
New Brunswick	649	—	—
Nova Scotia	664	—	—
Saskatchewan	658	—	—
Manitoba	661	—	—

British Columbia and Ontario consistently lead, while the Prairie provinces tend to sit lower. Differences in regional housing costs, average debt loads, and income levels are broadly understood to drive these gaps though no single factor tells the whole story.

How the Average Canadian Credit Score Has Shifted (2020–2026)

Most articles report the current number and move on. The trend behind it is more telling.

Period	Average FICO Score	Context
April 2020	753	Early pandemic; financial uncertainty
April 2021	761	Government stimulus; reduced consumer spending
April 2022	762	Post-pandemic stabilization
April 2023	762	Held steady
November 2024	760	2-point decline
2026	Pressure continues	Mortgage renewals and rising debt levels persist

The headline number has remained relatively stable. But the underlying credit metrics have been moving in a less comfortable direction since late 2021, and those pressures have not resolved heading into 2026.

What Has Been Driving the Strain

The following stress signals emerged from FICO's 2024 data and have continued to develop in the years since:

Canadians 90+ days past due on credit obligations rose 9.6% year-over-year in 2024
Auto finance delinquencies (30+ days) climbed 12.5% compared to the prior year
Real estate loan delinquencies rose 14.2% year-over-year
Average credit card balances were up 4.9% year-over-year and 14.4% above pandemic-era lows
Personal insolvencies reached a four-year high in Q2 2024, up 12.4% year-over-year

In 2026, mortgage renewals at higher rates continue to press on household budgets particularly for borrowers who locked in low fixed rates during 2020 and 2021.

The headline average of 760 reflects real resilience among most Canadians. But a meaningful share of borrowers is carrying more strain than that headline implies.

How Your Score Compares — and What It Means in 2026

760 and Above (Excellent)

A score of 760 or above puts you in a strong position with virtually all mainstream lenders in 2026.

You are likely eligible for the best available rates on mortgages, personal loans, and credit cards.

Premium products higher limits, travel rewards, lower variable rates are generally accessible at this level.

700–759 (Very Good to Good)

Most lenders treat this range as reliable. Approval is generally straightforward, and rates are competitive — if not always the absolute lowest on offer.

Below 660 (Fair to Poor)

Approval is still possible, but terms are typically less favourable. According to data from Statista, roughly 4.7% of Canadian mortgage holders had a fair or poor credit score as of Q3 2023 a relatively small share that nonetheless faces higher rates or stricter lending conditions.

Some mortgage products in 2026 will require a larger down payment or a co-signer for applicants in this range. A below-average score is not a permanent state. It is a starting point.

How to Check Your Credit Score in Canada in 2026

Checking your own score is a soft inquiry it has zero effect on your score.

Here are the main free options Canadians have access to in 2026:

Platform	Cost	Bureau Used	Notes
Equifax Canada	Free (online account)	Equifax	Full credit report free once per year
TransUnion Canada	Free (Quebec residents only)	TransUnion	Fee-based in other provinces
Borrowell	Free	Equifax	Weekly score updates
ClearScore	Free	Equifax	Account signup required
Select bank apps	Free (customers only)	Varies	e.g., RBC, Scotiabank

Under Canadian legislation, you are entitled to a free copy of your full credit report from each bureau at least once per year.

Worth keeping in mind: a credit report and a credit score are not the same thing. The report is the full detailed record. The score is the three-digit number derived from it.

How to Improve Your Credit Score in Canada in 2026

The five factors below drive your FICO Score. None of this is complicated. What it takes is consistency not shortcuts.

Factor	FICO Weight	What Hurts It	One Clear Action
Payment History	35%	Late or missed payments	Set up pre-authorized minimum payments on every account
Amounts Owed	30%	Using over 30% of your credit limit	Pay down balances; aim below 30% utilization
Length of Credit History	15%	Closing your oldest account	Keep your oldest card open, even if rarely used
Credit Mix	10%	Only one type of credit	Maintain a mix only if it suits your actual financial needs
New Inquiries	10%	Multiple applications in a short window	Space out credit applications

People who have worked through credit rebuilding in 2026 consistently find that payment history and utilization together move the needle most.

Get those two right, and they outweigh the other three factors combined by a significant margin.

One realistic note: negative marks such as missed payments, collections, and consumer proposals stay on your Canadian credit file for six to seven years.

Scores do recover meaningfully before those items fall off. But the habits underneath have to actually change, not just the intention.

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Conclusion

As of 2026, the average credit score in Canada remains at 760 a number that reflects broad financial resilience among Canadian borrowers overall.

Knowing where the average sits is useful context. What matters more is understanding your own number, why it is where it is, and what consistently moves it in the right direction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my credit score look different on different websites?

Different platforms pull from different bureaus Equifax or TransUnion which update at different times and apply different models.

The FICO Score most Canadian lenders use is rarely the same as what appears on free consumer apps. Both are useful indicators. They just do not measure things in exactly the same way.

Is 760 a realistic credit score goal for most Canadians in 2026?

It is the national average, so statistically yes but the average skews toward older Canadians with longer credit histories.

Those earlier in their financial lives will naturally sit lower. Above 660 is solid ground with most lenders. 760 is a reasonable long-term target built through consistent habits, not a quick fix.

How long does it take to improve a credit score in Canada?

There is no single answer. Reducing credit utilization can show movement within one or two billing cycles.

Recovering from missed payments or collections typically takes months to years of uninterrupted on-time repayment. Starting sooner matters more than starting perfectly.

What credit score do I need for a mortgage in Canada in 2026?

Most lenders require a minimum of 680 for conventional mortgages. Some insured mortgage products allow lower scores with a larger down payment. Exact minimums vary by lender, product type, and individual financial profile.

Does checking my own credit score lower it?

No. Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and has no effect on your credit rating whatsoever.

Only hard inquiries triggered when a lender pulls your file during a credit application can cause a small, temporary dip.