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Description

These data are for Credit Report Characteristics for 2025Q1. The data come from TransUnion and are not comparable received from Equifax.

These data are provided under a restrictive license and should not be published or made publicly accessible. Please contact the CDP team if you have any questions.

About TransUnion

TransUnion is a global information and insights company and one of Canada’s two primary credit reporting agencies. They maintain credit histories for millions of Canadian consumers by aggregating data from banks, credit unions, auto lenders, and other financial institutions. This data is used to generate credit scores and comprehensive financial profiles, serving as a critical infrastructure for lending and economic analysis in Canada.

About the Dataset

This dataset provides a detailed snapshot of consumer financial health and credit usage patterns across Canada, aggregated to standard census geographies. Derived from anonymized TransUnion credit files, the data offers a multi-dimensional view of economic stability within communities. It covers three primary domains:

  • Credit Risk & Demographics: A breakdown of consumers by age group and credit score ranges (from Subprime to Super Prime).
  • Debt Composition: Volume and balance totals for major trade lines, including mortgages, auto loans, bankcards, lines of credit, and installment loans.
  • Financial Stress Indicators: Delinquency rates across all trade types, tracking accounts that are 30, 60, or 90+ days past due.

This dataset is particularly valuable for identifying trends in household debt, monitoring economic vulnerability, and assessing the financial resilience of local neighbourhoods.

Methodology: Aggregating Postal Data to Higher-Level Geographies

This methodology outlines the process used to assign 5-digit and 6-digit postal codes to specific geographic areas (Census Subdivision, Census Tract, Census Metropolitan Area, Census Division, and Province) and aggregate the associated data. The matching process utilizes the Statistics Canada Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF).

1. Data Cleaning & Preparation

All postal codes from the input files (5Postal.xlsx and 6Postal.xlsx) and the PCCF reference file are standardized by stripping whitespace and converting characters to uppercase to ensure accurate text matching.

2. 6-Digit Postal Code Assignment

Records containing full 6-digit postal codes are matched to the PCCF using a Single Link Indicator (SLI) Priority method:

  • SLI Filter: The PCCF is filtered to include only records where the Single Link Indicator equals 1. This ensures that each postal code maps to exactly one "primary" geographic location, avoiding duplication caused by postal codes that straddle geographic boundaries.
  • Direct Match: The input 6-digit codes are joined to this filtered PCCF. Records that do not find a match in the SLI=1 subset are excluded.

3. 5-Digit Postal Code Assignment

Records containing 5-digit postal codes (Forward Sortation Area + first 2 digits of the Local Delivery Unit) undergo a similar process but with the addition of needing geographic consistency:

  • Geographic Consistency: All 6-digit postal codes associated with the 5-digit prefix must map to the same unique geographic identifier. If the children belong to multiple different geographies (e.g., one 5-digit prefix spans two different Census Tracts), the record is flagged as ambiguous and discarded.

4. Data Rollup

Once valid geographic identifiers are assigned to the acceptable 5-digit and 6-digit records:

  • The datasets are combined.
  • Numeric data columns are aggregated (summed) based on the unique geographic identifier (e.g., CSDUID, CTUID).

Outcome: The final dataset represents a conservative, high-confidence aggregation where only postal codes with unambiguous, primary geographic links are retained.

Notes

Data Dictionary

AttributeDescriptionCategory
Postal_Code5-digit or 6-digit postal code (unique key)Geography
Total_ConsumersTotal consumers (adults)Counts
CV_Subprime# of Subprime consumers (credit score less than 640)Credit Score
CV_NearPrime# of Near Prime consumers (credit score between 640 and 719)Credit Score
CV_Prime# of Prime consumers (credit score between 720 and 759)Credit Score
CV_PrimePlus# of Prime Plus consumers (credit score between 760 and 799)Credit Score
CV_SuperPrice# of Super Prime consumers (credit score greater than 799)Credit Score
Age_Unk# of consumers without an age providedAge
Age_U35# of adults between the ages of 18 to 34Age
Age_35_64# of adults between the ages of 35 to 64Age
Age_O64# of adults that are 65 years of age or olderAge
Auto_Num# of auto tradesAuto
Auto_BalTotal auto trades balance ($)Auto
Auto_30DPD# of auto trades currently 30-59 days past dueAuto
Auto_60DPD# of auto trades currently 60-89 days past dueAuto
Auto_90DPD# of auto trades currently 90 days past due or worstAuto
Mtg_Num# of mortgage tradesMortgage
Mtg_BalTotal mortgage trades balance ($)Mortgage
Mtg_30DPD# of mortgage trades currently 30-59 days past dueMortgage
Mtg_60DPD# of mortgage trades currently 60-89 days past dueMortgage
Mtg_90DPD# of mortgage trades currently 90 days past due or worstMortgage
N_Mtg_Num# of non-mortgage trades (cards, lines of credit, installments)Non-Mortgage
N_Mtg_BalTotal non-mortgage trades balance ($)Non-Mortgage
N_Mtg_30DPD# of non-mortgage trades currently 30-59 days past dueNon-Mortgage
N_Mtg_60DPD# of non-mortgage trades currently 60-89 days past dueNon-Mortgage
N_Mtg_90DPD# of non-mortgage trades currently 90 days past due or worstNon-Mortgage
BC_Num# of bankcard tradesBankcard
BC_BalTotal bankcard trades balance ($)Bankcard
BC_Num_Bal# of bankcard trades with a balanceBankcard
BC_LimitTotal bankcard trades credit limit ($)Bankcard
BC_30DPD# of bankcard trades currently 30-59 days past dueBankcard
BC_60DPD# of bankcard trades currently 60-89 days past dueBankcard
BC_90DPD# of bankcard trades currently 90 days past due or worstBankcard
LOC_Num# of line of credit tradesLine of Credit
LOC_BalTotal line of credit trades balance ($)Line of Credit
LOC_Num_Bal# of line of credit trades with a balanceLine of Credit
LOC_LimitTotal line of credit trades credit limit ($)Line of Credit
LOC_30DPD# of line of credit trades currently 30-59 days past dueLine of Credit
LOC_60DPD# of line of credit trades currently 60-89 days past dueLine of Credit
LOC_90DPD# of line of credit trades currently 90 days past due or worstLine of Credit
IL_Num# of installment tradesInstallment
IL_BalTotal installment trades balance ($)Installment
IL_30DPD# of installment trades currently 30-59 days past dueInstallment
IL_60DPD# of installment trades currently 60-89 days past dueInstallment
IL_90DPD# of installment trades currently 90 days past due or worstInstallment
CX_30DPD# of consumers currently 30-59 days past due on any tradeConsumer
CX_60DPD# of consumers currently 60-89 days past due on any tradeConsumer
CX_90DPD# of consumers currently 90 days past due or worst on any tradeConsumer
Years within data
2025
File format
File Size
120 MB
Date released
Full title
Credit Report Characteristics: Credit Risk & Demographics, Debt Composition, and Financial Stress Indicators by Geography, 2025 Q1