How Much Do Canadians Inherit on Average? (Statistics 2026)

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A typical Canadian inheritance has been estimated at around $180,000, but expectations are rising fast and a handful of very large estates pull the average well above what most people actually receive.

This page collects the key figures on how much Canadians inherit, who inherits, and at what age. Each statistic links to a source at the bottom of the page. Updated June 2026.

Contents:

The average inheritance

There is no single official figure for the average Canadian inheritance, because estates are not centrally reported. Estimates come from bank research and surveys, and they vary with the source and the years covered.

1. A historical estimate of about $180,000

One widely quoted CIBC estimate put the inheritance a Canadian aged 50 to 75 could expect to receive at roughly $180,000 over a decade, based on past patterns of wealth transfer.1

2. Millennials expect around $309,000

An Ipsos survey found that Canadian millennials expected to receive an average inheritance of about $309,000, a figure that reflects optimism about rising house prices more than confirmed bequests.2

3. Boomers plan to leave far more

Among boomers who plan to leave their entire estate to their children, the same research suggested an average bequest of around $940,000, illustrating how concentrated wealth is among older homeowners.3

Average versus typical: Because a small number of very large estates pull the mean upward, the inheritance most Canadians actually receive is well below the headline averages. Distribution matters more than the average.

The great wealth transfer

The reason inheritance is in the headlines is the sheer scale of money about to move between generations as the baby boomers age.

4. Roughly $1 trillion in transit

Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada estimated that about $1 trillion would move from baby boomers to their children between 2023 and 2026, the largest wealth transfer in Canadian history.4

5. $750 billion to boomers alone

An earlier CIBC report projected that baby boomers under 75 would inherit around $750 billion over a decade, much of it the result of decades of rising real estate values.5

6. Living gifts are growing

CIBC found the average lifetime monetary gift rose to about $115,000 in 2024 from roughly $66,000 in 2019, as parents increasingly transfer wealth early to help children buy homes.6

7. Most of it is housing wealth

The bulk of the transfer is locked in real estate. CIBC reported that 31 percent of first-time homebuyers received family help in 2024, up from 20 percent in 2015.7

Who inherits and when

Canadians tend to inherit late in life, often after their own major financial decisions are already behind them.

8. Inheritance arrives in middle age or later

Because life expectancy is high, the children inheriting are themselves often in their 50s or 60s by the time a parent dies. See life expectancy in Canada for the underlying numbers.8

9. Pre-retirement households are wealthiest

Statistics Canada shows households headed by someone aged 55 to 64 have the highest median net worth, at $873,400, which is the wealth that will pass to the next generation. More in average net worth in Canada.9

10. Homeownership drives who inherits well

Children of homeowners are roughly twice as likely to be homeowners themselves, according to Statistics Canada, so inheritance tends to widen existing wealth gaps rather than close them.10

Why the average misleads

11. A few large estates distort the mean

As with most wealth statistics, a small share of very large estates pulls the average up. The median inheritance is far lower than the mean, so most heirs receive less than the headline figure.11

12. Many Canadians inherit little or nothing

A large share of households never receive a significant inheritance at all. The transfer is real but highly uneven, concentrated among families that already own property.12

No inheritance tax, but other costs

13. Canada has no inheritance tax

Canada is the only G7 country without an inheritance or estate tax. Heirs do not pay tax on what they receive, although the estate may owe capital gains tax on deemed dispositions at death.13

14. Probate fees still apply

Most provinces charge probate or estate administration fees scaled to the value of the estate. In Ontario, for example, estate administration tax is charged on assets above a small threshold.14

15. A will keeps the transfer on your terms

Without a will, the intestacy rules decide who inherits, regardless of what you intended. See dying without a will and the limits in disinheriting a dependant.15

The most important lesson: the average inheritance tells you little about what you will receive or leave. What matters is your own situation and whether it is properly organized. For a guided start, read how to write a will, use a will template for Canada, or see the wider picture in will and inheritance statistics in Canada.

Sources

  1. 1CBC News / CIBC (cbc.ca)
  2. 2Ipsos Canada (ipsos.com)
  3. 3Ipsos Canada (ipsos.com)
  4. 4CBC News / CPA Canada (cbc.ca)
  5. 5CBC News / CIBC (cbc.ca)
  6. 6CIBC Economics (mpamag.com)
  7. 7CIBC Economics (mpamag.com)
  8. 8Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  9. 9Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  10. 10CBC News / Statistics Canada (cbc.ca)
  11. 11Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  12. 12Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca)
  13. 13Canada Revenue Agency (canada.ca)
  14. 14Government of Ontario (ontario.ca)
  15. 15Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (canada.ca)
Max Kuch

About the author

Max Kuch

Max Kuch has spent years studying estate law, succession planning and the consumer questions that surround inheritance. For Get a Will he gathers and summarizes the leading data from Statistics Canada, the OECD and other authoritative bodies, and presents the numbers in a clear, accessible way.

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