Statistics Canada says the ratio of household debt to disposable income hit a new high in the fourth quarter of 2014 as incomes increased at a slower pace than consumer borrowing.

The agency states that ‘leverage’, as measured by household credit market debt to disposable income, reached 163.3 per cent in the quarter.

That means households owed about $1.63 in consumer credit, mortgage, and non-mortgage loans for every dollar of disposable income.

Economist Doug Porter that although debt has been rising, financial assets have too, as stock markets have rebounded and Canadians have been putting more away in their savings accounts.

On a per capita basis, average household net worth was $233,000.

Source: CTV, BMO and Stats Can