Canada’s AAA Credit Rating at Risk From Deeper Deficit, RBC Says

  • Sovereign borrowing costs would rise, touching households
  • Freeland due to release 2024-25 fiscal year budget on Tuesday

Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario.

Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Canada is at greater risk of losing its AAA credit rating than other top-rated countries if the government fails to show fiscal discipline, Royal Bank of Canada has warned on the eve of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s new budget.

A downgrade has the potential to raise the borrowing costs across the economy, economist Rachel Battaglia said in a note. “Even though deeper deficits and higher associated sovereign borrowing costs may feel like a distant problem for many Canadians, the impact has the potential to trickle down to most households and businesses,” Battaglia wrote.