Canada's financial vitals.

The overnight rate target set by the BoC's Governing Council.

Why it matters: Drives every variable interest rate in Canada - HELOCs, variable mortgages, savings accounts.

The rate banks charge their best customers - a spread above the policy rate.

Why it matters: Variable mortgages are typically prime − 0.5%, HELOCs prime + 0.5%.

Yield on 5-year Government of Canada benchmark bonds.

Why it matters: Banks price 5-year fixed mortgage rates at roughly bond yield + 150-200 bps.

Yield on 10-year Government of Canada benchmark bonds.

Why it matters: Long-term borrowing cost barometer - influences pension funds, big-project financing.

Year-over-year change in the all-items Consumer Price Index.

Why it matters: The Bank of Canada targets 2% inflation - the single input that decides rate cuts and hikes.

Average 5-year conventional posted mortgage rate at the chartered banks (weekly).

Why it matters: The sticker price of a Canadian mortgage - negotiated rates typically run 1-2% below posted, and posted rates feed mortgage penalty (IRD) math.

CREA's composite benchmark price for a typical home - more reliable than the raw average because it controls for the mix of homes sold. 2026 has softened (about -4% y/y); 2027-2028 are projected (dashed) from CREA's and CMHC's near-flat, below-inflation outlook.

Why it matters: The number to beat if you're saving for a down payment, and the one news headlines refer to when they say 'home prices fell'.

Canada-wide average monthly rent for purpose-built rental units. The default series is the 2-bedroom average; use the bedroom filter to switch.

Why it matters: Benchmark for whether your own rent is cheap, average, or expensive - lets you compare apples to apples.

Median after-tax income for all Canadian economic families and persons not in an economic family, in current (nominal) dollars.

Why it matters: Use this as a national salary benchmark - it's what the median Canadian household actually keeps after taxes.

Average hourly earnings of all employees (Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours - fixed weekly hours basis).

Why it matters: Useful when you're evaluating a job offer - 'is this above or below what the average Canadian worker makes?'

The federally-regulated minimum wage applicable to industries like banking, telecom, and interprovincial transport.

Why it matters: Sets the floor for federally-regulated sectors and is a useful signal for provincial minimum wage trends.

Canadian unemployment rate - seasonally adjusted, Labour Force Survey (population 15+).

Why it matters: Tight job market = leverage for raises and bigger emergency fund cushion. Loose market = dust off the resume.

Household credit market debt as a percentage of disposable income. 100% means debt equals one year of take-home pay.

Why it matters: The headline number Canadians use to judge how stretched households are. Above ~175% is historically high.

Real gross domestic product (chained 2017 dollars), annual level.

Why it matters: The total size of the Canadian economy. Growth (year over year) is the headline scorecard - two negative quarters in a row is the common definition of a recession.

Nominal gross domestic product divided by the population, in current Canadian dollars.

Why it matters: The productivity conversation in one number - Canada has been stagnant versus the US since 2015.

Household net saving as a percentage of household disposable income.

Why it matters: Spiked to 27% during COVID, then crashed. A normal range is 2-5% - the current rate tells you how much cushion households have.

New permanent residents landed in Canada during the calendar year across all immigration classes (economic, family, refugee, other).

Why it matters: The top-line immigration number Canadians debate. Drives housing demand, labour supply, and population growth.

Planned permanent-resident admissions set in the federal Immigration Levels Plan. Announced each November for the next three years.

Why it matters: Forward guidance on population growth - housing markets, rental markets, and job markets all respond to these numbers.

New international-student study permits issued by IRCC each calendar year (does not include extensions).

Why it matters: Rapid growth in study permits was a major driver of rental pressure in college towns. The 2024 cap was Ottawa's main lever to slow rent growth.

Total new work permits issued each year (Temporary Foreign Worker Program + International Mobility Program combined).

Why it matters: The other half of temporary immigration - matters for labour supply in construction, hospitality, and agriculture.

Canadian dollars per one US dollar - the noon rate.

Why it matters: Drives the price of US-listed stocks, cross-border shopping, and imported goods.

Canadian dollars per one Euro.

Why it matters: Matters if you're travelling, importing from Europe, or holding European stocks.

The amount the CRA lets you contribute to a TFSA for that calendar year.

Why it matters: Unused TFSA room carries forward forever - if you've never contributed, your real limit is the sum of every year since you turned 18.

The Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) - contributions stop once you earn this much in a year.

Why it matters: Anyone earning above this ceiling stops contributing to CPP mid-year. It's also the ceiling used by the second-tier CPP (CPP2) phase-in.

Total Canadian population as of July 1 estimates.

Why it matters: Context for growth stories and housing demand.