Canada's household balance sheets Andrew Heisz, Income Statistics Division, Statistics Canada Policy Research Symposium. Growing household financial instability: Is income volatility the culprit? March 9, 218
I have seen young people order smashed avocado with crumbled feta on five-grain toasted bread at $22 a pop and more. I can afford to eat this for lunch because I am middle-aged and have raised my family. But how can young people afford to eat like this? Shouldn't they be economising by eating at home? How often are they eating out? Twenty-two dollars several times a week could go towards a deposit on a house. Bernard Salt https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/we ekend-australian-magazine/moraliserswe-need-you/newsstory/6bdb24f77572be6833bd36c14e e8a3 2
$216 debt, income $216 debt to income Assets, debts and income of Canadian households 9 8 7 5 Average household assets and debts, 1984-216 14 12 8 6 4 2 Debt, income and debt to income 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.8.6.4.2 1984 1999 25 212 216 1984 1999 25 212 216 asset debt assets, not including EPP net debt after-tax income debt to income Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216, 212, 25, 1999, Assets and Debts Survey, 1984 3
1976 1977 1978 1979 198 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 214 215 $215 Widening household incomes suggest different potentials for savings and investment 16 Household after-tax income by percentile 14 $142, 12 8 6 $63, 4 2 $2, P1 P25 P5 P75 P9 Source: Canadian Income Survey 212-215, Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics 1993-211 and Survey of Consumer Finances 1976-1997 4
$2,16 Beyond the averages: large variations in individual household experiences 9 Household net worth, by selected percentile 8 7 5 1999 25 212 216 P25 P5 P75 Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216, 212, 25, 1999, Assets and Debts Survey, 1984 5
$ $ 27% of the population 24% of households 2% of the population 28% of households 26% of the population 33% of households 9% of the population 14% of households Millennials Generation X Baby Boomers Older Generation Born 1981-2 Aged 16 to 35 in 216 Born 1965-198 Aged 36 to 51 in 216 Born 1946-1964 Aged 52 to 7 in 216 Born 1925-1945 Aged 71 to 91 in 216 median after-tax income, households, 215 median net worth, households, 216 8 7 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 5 Millennial Generation X Baby boomers Older generation Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216 Millennial Generation X Baby boomers Older generation 6
$2,16 What are the experiences of these generations measured at the same point in their life course? median assets median debt median net worth 9 8 7 5 25-34 4-49 55-64 7-79 5 45 35 25 15 5 25-34 4-49 55-64 7-79 9 8 7 5 25-34 4-49 55-64 7-79 age group Millennial Baby boomers Generation X Older generation Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216, 1999 7
$2,16 There are large differences in outcomes both across generations and within generations 1 1 1 Net worth by age and generation, selected percentiles 8 at age 25-34 at age 4-49 at age 55-64 P25 P5 P75 Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216, 1999 8
$ median value of student loans Millennials: investing in human capital.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1 Share with a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree Among Millennials aged 25-34, 26% had student debt. Among student debt holders, the largest debts were for university grads % with student debt % without student debt 25 2 15 1 5 high school trades or college university 25-29 3-34 35-39 4-44 45-49 5-54 55-59 6-64 65-69 7+ Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216, Canadian Income Survey 215 9
$ Significant net worth premium associated with higher education 1 Median net worth by generation and educational attainment, 216 1 8 Millennials aged 25-34 Generation X Baby boomers Older generation high school trades, college university Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216 1
$ median value of mortgage Millennials: investing in housing assets Among Millennials aged 25-34, 4% had a mortgage. Among mortgage holders, the median was $26, % with a mortgage % without a mortgage 45 35 25 15 5 From the Census: Millennials are slower to get into the housing market than was the case for the baby boomers at that age To demonstrate this, one can compare homeownership rates of baby boomers at age 3 in 1981, with millennials aged 3 in 216. At the age of 3, among millennials who lived in their own home, just over half (5.2%) were owners in 216, compared with 55.5% of boomers in 1981 From the SFS: Median home equity for millennial home owners was $1, in 216 Measured at the same age, millennials have much larger mortgages than previous generations median mortgage debt for a generation X mortgage holder was $114, Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216 11
Gen X: investing in their kids 7% of Gen X households were families 77% of Gen X families had kids 54% of Gen X families with kids had an RESP 46% of Gen X families with kids did not have an RESP After-tax income=$111, Median RESP value=$2, After-tax income=$79, RESP investment varies by income, educational attainment and family type Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216 12
$216 Gen X: investing in their retirement 35 25 15 5 Average pension assets 7 5 Pension assets, 4-49 year olds, 216 26% had no pension assets 25-34 4-49 55-64 7-79 Millennial Generation X Baby boomers Older generation P1 P25 P5 P75 P9 Pension assets vary by income, educational attainment and family type Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216, 1999 13
$ Boomers: unequal distribution of wealth suggests different standards of living in retirement 1 Pension assets, 216, age 55-64 1 8 19% had no pension assets 34% had no pension assets P1 P25 P5 P75 P9 unattached all households Source: the Survey of Financial Security, 216 14
Conclusion How are the balance sheets of Canadians? It depends Assets, debts and net worth rising over time and across generations Main message? A lot of inequality between and within generations. Millennials - building up housing assets and human capital Those who cannot invest in their futures risk being left behind. Generation X investing in their children and their retirement But there are some families who are unable to make these investments no RESP, no retirement savings Baby boomers a wealthy generation, but, also with unequal outcomes unattached boomers are an example of a group at risk of having less retirement savings 15