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The share of new Canadian mortgages amortized over 25 years has stayed above 60% at chartered banks for most of the past three years, per CMHC — a sign borrowers are stretching loan terms to manage higher payments.
of new uninsured mortgages at chartered banks had amortizations over 25 years in Q2 2025
— a share CMHC says has stayed above 60% for four straight quarters.
CMHC, Residential Mortgage Industry Report, Fall 2025
The share amortized beyond 25 years jumped after the 2022 rate-hike cycle and has mostly stayed above 60% since.
Share of newly extended chartered-bank mortgages with amortization periods longer than 25 years, quarterly. CMHC's Fall 2025 report notes the uninsured share has remained above 60% for four consecutive quarters through Q2 2025. Source: CMHC, Residential Mortgage Industry Report, Fall 2024 and Fall 2025.
Over 25 years is now the default, not the exception: the share of new chartered-bank mortgages amortized beyond 25 years peaked at 64.1% in Q1 2024 and has stayed above 60% in most quarters since 2022.
It's a rate-era phenomenon: long amortizations rose sharply after the Bank of Canada's 2022 hiking cycle, as borrowers stretched terms to keep payments manageable at higher rates.
The trend has outlasted the rate cuts: CMHC's Fall 2025 report found the uninsured share above 60% for a fourth straight quarter even as the Bank of Canada cut rates through 2024 and 2025 — suggesting affordability, not just rates, is now the driver.
Longer terms mean more interest over the life of the loan: stretching a $550,000 mortgage from 25 to 30 years cuts the monthly payment by roughly $270 at a 4% rate — but adds years of extra interest, a trade-off brokers should walk clients through explicitly.
| Quarter | Share over 25 years | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Q3 | 56.2% | — |
| 2021 Q4 | 57.2% | — |
| 2022 Q1 | 61.9% | — |
| 2022 Q2 | 62.6% | — |
| 2022 Q3 | 58.6% | — |
| 2022 Q4 | 60.3% | — |
| 2023 Q1 | 62.6% | — |
| 2023 Q2 | 63.5% | — |
| 2023 Q3 | 62.3% | — |
| 2023 Q4 | 62.7% | — |
| 2024 Q1 | 64.1% | Peak on record |
| 2024 Q2 | 60.0% | — |
Source: CMHC, Residential Mortgage Industry Report, Fall 2024, Table 2 (share of newly extended chartered-bank mortgages).
share with amortization over 25 years in Q3 2021, before the Bank of Canada's hiking cycle began
CMHC
peak share on record, reached in Q1 2024
CMHC
uninsured share holding above 60% for four straight quarters through Q2 2025
CMHC
maximum amortization now available to eligible first-time buyers on insured mortgages, up from 25
CMHC
When six in ten new mortgages run longer than 25 years, amortization choice has become a routine part of the qualification conversation, not an edge case. Brokers packaging files need to document the amortization rationale clearly for underwriters and be ready to model both the payment relief and the total-interest trade-off for clients who ask.
Last updated August 1, 2026. Each figure carries its source; projections are labelled. Page reviewed on every major source release. Information only — not advice.
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