Knowing the average credit score in Canada is one thing. Knowing where you stand compared to other Canadians your age is more useful, because credit scores rise predictably as you get older. A 670 score is below average if you’re 60 and well above average if you’re 22.
This guide breaks down the average credit score by age in Canada using the latest data, explains why the gaps exist, and shows how to beat your cohort regardless of which group you fall into.
Average Credit Score in Canada by Generation (2026)
The most recent data, drawn from over 4 million Borrowell members on the Equifax Risk Score 2.0 scale (as of 2026), breaks down like this:
| Generation | Approximate Birth Years | Average Credit Score |
|---|---|---|
| Gen Z | 1997 to 2012 (adult portion: 18-28) | 659 |
| Millennials | 1981 to 1996 (29-44) | 673 |
| Gen X | 1965 to 1980 (45-60) | 676 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946 to 1964 (61-79) | 718 |
| Silent Generation | 1928 to 1945 (80+) | 769 |
| All Canadians (average) | (all ages) | 679 |
The pattern is clear: average credit scores rise by roughly 10-15 points per decade of life in Canada. The Silent Generation sits more than 100 points above Gen Z on average. As with any member-base data set, Borrowell’s figures skew toward Canadians who actively monitor their credit, so treat these as directional benchmarks rather than a precise census of every Canadian in each age group.
Why Older Canadians Have Higher Scores
The age-score relationship isn’t a coincidence. Three of the five credit-score factors get better with age automatically:
1. Length of Credit History (~15% of the score)
This factor literally measures how long your credit accounts have been open. A 25-year-old with their first credit card at 18 has 7 years of history. A 55-year-old with a card from their 20s has 30+ years. There’s no shortcut.
2. Payment History (~35% of the score)
Older borrowers have had more opportunities to demonstrate on-time payment, and the negative items that hit early-career borrowers (the late payment in your 20s, the collections from an old phone bill) age off the report after 6 years in Canada. By 45, most boomer-era credit blemishes are gone.
3. Credit Mix (~10%)
Older borrowers tend to have lived with multiple credit types over time: cards, lines of credit, mortgages, auto loans, sometimes student loans. Younger borrowers usually have fewer types.
The two factors that don’t automatically improve with age are credit utilization and new inquiries. A 60-year-old who carries 80% utilization on their cards still gets penalized for it.
Where You Stand in Your Age Cohort
Here’s roughly what each rating looks like inside each generation:
Gen Z (18-28): cohort average 659
- 750+: top ~15% of Gen Z. Genuinely impressive given the timeline.
- 700-749: top quarter. Above average for your age.
- 660-699: right around the Gen Z average.
- 600-659: below average. Common during early-career credit-building.
- Below 600: bottom ~20% of Gen Z. Worth focused rebuilding work.
Millennials (29-44): cohort average 673
- 750+: top 20-25% of Millennials.
- 700-749: above average.
- 650-699: around the Millennial average.
- 600-649: below average. Often reflects the financial impact of the 2020-2022 inflation period.
- Below 600: bottom ~15-20%.
Gen X (45-60): cohort average 676
- 750+: top 25% of Gen X.
- 700-749: above average.
- 650-699: roughly average.
- Below 650: below average. Often reflects ongoing higher debt loads (mortgages, kids’ education, supporting older parents).
Boomers (61-79): cohort average 718
- 800+: top 20% of Boomers.
- 750-799: above average.
- 700-749: roughly average.
- Below 700: below the Boomer average. Worth a closer look (usually fixable).
Silent Generation (80+): cohort average 769
The highest-scoring group by far. Decades of payment history, minimal new credit, and most negative items long since aged off.
What Pulls Scores Down at Each Age
Different age groups face different score-killers:
- Gen Z and early Millennials: thin file, recent inquiries, high utilization on small limits. The math hurts when your only card has a $1,000 limit and you carry $400. For first-time borrowers and newcomers, see our guide on getting your first loan with no credit history in Canada.
- Mid-career (28-50): mortgage-driven debt-to-income load, multiple cards carrying balances, occasional missed payments during life transitions (job change, divorce, illness).
- Pre-retirement (50-65): sometimes a downgrade if mortgages get extended, often credit-card balances during home renovations.
- Retired (65+): mostly stable, but score declines from closing old cards or letting credit accounts go dormant.
How to Beat Your Cohort
The five-factor framework is the same at every age. What changes is which factor offers the most leverage:
If you’re 18-30
The big lever is opening credit early and managing it perfectly. A secured credit card used responsibly from age 19 means by age 25 you have 6 years of payment history, which puts you ahead of cohort. For specific products that work, see our 580-649 credit score card guide.
If you’re 30-50
The big lever is utilization management. By this age you typically have multiple cards and lines, but balances tend to creep up. Driving total revolving utilization under 30% (ideally under 10%) is the fastest score lift available to you.
If you’re 50+
The big lever is preserving what you have. Don’t close old cards (even if you don’t use them, they’re protecting your length of history and total available credit). Don’t apply for new cards you don’t need. Don’t co-sign for adult children unless you fully understand the impact.
When Your Score Is Below Your Cohort Average
If you’re materially below your age cohort’s average, the best path forward depends on why. For most Canadians, the issue isn’t lack of effort. It’s that one or two specific scoring factors (usually utilization or a single legacy negative item) are dragging the whole score down.
For a step-by-step rebuilding playbook, see our guides on how bad credit loans help rebuild credit and how bad credit loans actually work in Canada. Most Canadians starting in the 500s see meaningful improvement within 6-12 months of disciplined credit behaviour.
Ready to Take Action?
If your credit score is below your age cohort and you want to build positive payment history through a small installment loan, get matched with a Canadian lender today →. One application, multiple lenders, no credit impact unless you accept an offer.
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