Canada Education Savings Program: 2024 Annual Statistical Review

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List of acronyms

ASR
Annual Statistical Review
CESG
Canada Education Savings Grant
CESP
Canada Education Savings Program
CLB
Canada Learning Bond
EAP
Educational Assistance Payment
ESDC
Employment and Social Development Canada
PP
Percentage points
PSE
Postsecondary education
RESP
Registered Education Savings Plans

List of tables

About this report

The 2024 Annual Statistical Review (ASR) of the Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) provides statistics on Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP) for the period between January 1 and December 31, 2024. The ASR also provides statistics on the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and the Canada Learning Bond (CLB). The CESG and the CLB are 2 education savings benefits paid into RESPs provided by the Government of Canada. The report also provides historical data.

Introduction

The Government of Canada encourages using RESPs to save for a child’s postsecondary education (PSE), including full or part-time studies at a trade school, college, university, or in an apprenticeship program. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) administers the CESG and the CLB to help Canadians build early savings and aspirations toward their child’s PSE after high school.

Note: In Budget 2024, the Government of Canada announced its intention to amend the Canada Education Savings Act. This amendment would:

  • introduce automatic enrolment to the CLB for eligible children who do not have an RESP opened for them by the time the child turns 4
    • Starting in 2028 to 2029, all CLB-eligible children born in 2024 or later would have an RESP automatically opened for them and eligible CLB payments would be auto-deposited in these accounts
    • To ensure that all children can benefit from this simplified process, starting in 2028 to 2029, caregivers of eligible children born before 2024 would also be able to request that ESDC open an RESP for their child and auto-deposit the eligible CLB payments
  • extend the age from 20 to 30 years to retroactively claim the CLB

Definition of concepts used in this report

Cumulative number of beneficiaries: count of beneficiaries who received a CESG or CLB payment at least once since the inception of the program.

Example: Sarah received the CESG in 2015 and 2024. Therefore, she will be counted once in the cumulative number of CESG beneficiaries as of 2024.

Total number of beneficiaries during the year: all individuals who received a CESG or CLB payment in a given year.

Example: In Sarah’s case, she will be included in the total number of CESG beneficiaries in 2015 and in 2024.

Total number of new beneficiaries during the year: count of beneficiaries who received a CESG or CLB payment for the first time in a particular year.

Example: Lu received the CESG in 2024 for the first time. He will therefore be counted in the total number of new CESG beneficiaries in 2024.

Note: The above definitions suggest that Lu will also be included in a) the total number of CESG beneficiaries in 2024, and b) the cumulative number of CESG beneficiaries as of 2024.

Contributions and withdrawals are presented in constant dollars (consult Reporting in constant dollars for more details). Payments are in current dollars.

The data in this document come from the CESP reporting database, which does not include information on family income. For this reason, the receipt of different education savings benefits is used to proxy different income groups. More specifically, the receipt of the CLB and/or the 20% additional amount of CESG (Additional CESG) is used as a proxy for RESP beneficiaries belonging to a family with low income. The receipt of the 10% Additional CESG, but no CLB, is used as a proxy for belonging to a family with middle income. Finally, the receipt of the Basic CESG with neither the Additional CESG, nor the CLB, is used as a proxy for beneficiaries belonging to a family with high income.

Glossary

This section describes education savings benefits available through RESPs and the role of financial institutions in providing them.

Registered Education Savings Plans

To receive the education savings benefits, an RESP must be opened with a financial institution, "a promoter", such as a bank, financial planner, scholarship plan dealer, or an insurance company.

Anyone can open an RESP. Typically, a parent, grandparent, or another family member opens an RESP and names a child as the plan’s beneficiary. The person who opens the RESP is referred to as the subscriber. The subscriber does not need to be related to the beneficiary.

There are 3 types of RESPs:

  • individual non-family plans: only 1 beneficiary is named to the RESP
  • individual family plans: multiple beneficiaries may be named to the RESP, but they must all be directly related (including through adoption) to the subscriber
  • group plans: savings for many (non-family) beneficiaries of the same age group are pooled together and collectively invested by a scholarship plan dealer

Funds in an RESP can be held in a variety of forms (for example: savings deposits, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, and other types of investments available under the Income Tax Act); they grow tax-free until withdrawn by the subscriber. Depending on the RESP promoter and their offerings, numerous account features are available, including low- or no-fee options.Footnote 1

Canada Education Savings Grant
The CESG consists of a basic grant (Basic CESG) available to families of all income levels and an additional CESG amount (Additional CESG) for beneficiaries from families with low and middle income.
Basic Canada Education Savings Grant
The Basic CESG is a 20% payment into an RESP on the first $2,500 of contributions made into the RESP each year, or up to $5,000 in contributions if sufficient carry-forward room exists. Beneficiaries are eligible until the end of the calendar year they turn 17 years old.
Grant room and carry forward

Grant room, or unused amounts of the Basic CESG, accumulates for each child until December 31 of the year they turn 17 years old. An amount of $500 is added annually to the grant room for each eligible child.

Unused Basic CESG amounts for the current year are carried forward for possible use in future years, provided the beneficiary remains eligible.

Additional Canada Education Savings Grant amounts

Beneficiaries from families with low or middle income may also qualify for the Additional CESG. This is a payment of 10% or 20% on the first $500 of contributions made in an RESP each year on or after January 1, 2005, up to the end of the calendar year the beneficiary turns 17 years old.

Note: Grant room and carry forward do not apply to the Additional CESG.

Note: The Government of Canada pays a maximum lifetime amount of $7,200 in the Basic and Additional CESG to each beneficiary.

For 2024, the following adjusted family income thresholds determined eligibility for the Additional CESG:

Table 1: Additional CESG eligibility thresholds
Additional CESG Adjusted family income
20% Up to $55,867
10% Greater than $55,867 but no more than $111,733
Canada Learning Bond

The CLB is available to individuals born on or after January 1, 2004, from families whose income is below a certain threshold (Table 2) or for whom benefits are payable under the Children’s Special Allowance Act. The bond provides an initial sum of $500 in an RESP and $100 for each subsequent benefit year of eligibility, up to the benefit year in which the beneficiary turns 15 years old, to a maximum of $2,000. Contributions to an RESP are not required to receive the CLB. The CLB can also be claimed for previous years during which the child was eligible, even if they did not have an open RESP.

Eligibility for the CLB is based, in part, on the number of qualifying children and the adjusted income of the primary caregiver, including that of a cohabiting spouse or common-law partner, as outlined in the Canada Education Savings Act. Accordingly, a child receiving the CLB in a given year might not be eligible in subsequent years. For example, children who received it in 2023 would not qualify in 2024 if their adjusted family incomeFootnote 2 was higher than $55,867 that year.

From July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, the CLB eligibility is based, in part, on the following adjusted family income thresholds:

Table 2: CLB eligibility thresholdsFootnote 3
Number of qualified children Adjusted family income
1 to 3 Up to $55,867
4 Less than $63,036
5 Less than $70,234
6 Less than $77,433
Registered Education Savings Plan promoters

The role of RESP promoters, the organizations offering RESPs and education savings benefits, is essential. They assist with the application process and help the subscriber understand the various investment options. In 2024, there were 83 promoters, falling into 4 categories:

  • banking services: deposit-taking institutions that provide private and commercial services
  • insurance and other: institutions that offer insurance (property, casualty, life, and health) and other various registered plan promoter types
  • investment services: institutions that provide services in investment banking, brokerage services, wealth management, fund operations, and private equity, security and commodity exchanges
  • scholarship plan dealers: institutions that offer registered plans by age cohort in addition to family and individual plans

As in previous years, investment services held the largest share of RESP assets (48.6%) and received the bulk of CESG payments (42.8%) in 2024. Banking services received the highest proportion of CLB payments (57.3%) in 2024.

Registered Education Savings Plan withdrawals for postsecondary education

Once enrolled in a qualifying PSE programFootnote 4, a beneficiary can request Education Assistance Payments (EAPs). An EAP consists of CESG and CLB amounts, as well as amounts paid under a provincial education savings programFootnote 5 and income earned through assets in the RESP. EAPs are taxable income for the beneficiary, who often has a modest income while studying, so the income tax paid on EAPs is generally low. The beneficiary can use these funds to cover their tuition fees and other PSE costs, such as textbooks and rent.

Subscribers can also make a PSE withdrawal. This is a withdrawal of contributions the subscriber makes without penalty provided that the beneficiary is enrolled in qualifying PSE program. This money can further assist with PSE-related expenses.

The Canada Education Savings Program at a glance

National summary

Table 3: National summary of statisticsFootnote 6Footnote 7Footnote 8

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Table 3a: National summary of statistics - Registered Education Savings Plans
Description 2022 2023 2024
Total RESP assets as of the end of the year (billions) $73.0 $78.9 $89.8
Contributions made during the year (billions in 2024 constant dollars) $6.1 $5.9 $6.2
Table 3b: National summary of statistics - Canada Education Savings Grant
Description 2022 2023 2024
Total gross CESG payments made during the year (millions) $1,104 $1,118 $1,166
Cumulative gross CESG payments since 1998 (billions) $16.8 $17.9 $19.1
Total number of beneficiaries receiving the CESG during the year (millions) 3.1 3.1 3.1
Total number of new beneficiaries in receipt of the CESG during the year 262,840 267,775 281,230
Cumulative number of beneficiaries 0 to 17 years old who have ever been in receipt of the CESG (millions) 4.0 4.0 4.1
Cumulative number of beneficiaries of all ages who have ever been in receipt of the CESG (millions) 7.5 7.7 8.0
CESG take-up rateFootnote 9 54.4% 54.0% 53.4%
Average annual contribution per beneficiary (in 2024 constant dollars) $1,851 $1,801 $1,840
Table 3c: National summary of statistics - Canada Learning Bond
Description 2022 2023 2024
Net CLB payments made during the year (millions) $159 $176 $174
Cumulative net CLB payments since 2004 (billions) $1.9 $2.0 $2.2
Total number of beneficiaries receiving the CLB during the year 681,720 726,285 715,668
Total number of new beneficiaries in receipt of CLB during the year 147,798 162,636 158,847
Cumulative number of beneficiaries who have ever been in receipt of the CLBFootnote 10(millions) 1.9 2.0 2.2
Cumulative number of CLB-eligible children (millions) 4.4 4.7 5.0
CLB cumulative take-up rateFootnote 11 42.3% 43.0% 43.4%
New CLB beneficiaries annual take-up rateFootnote 12 17.8% 18.8% 18.9%
Average annual contribution per beneficiary (in 2024 constant dollars) $1,383 $1,367 $1,371
Table 3d: National summary of statistics - Access to postsecondary education
Description 2022 2023 2024
Annual RESP withdrawals (billions in 2024 constant dollars) $5.5 $6.1 $6.7
Annual number of beneficiaries withdrawing funds from RESPs 499,081 547,197 583,079
Percentage of beneficiaries from families with low and middle income with RESP withdrawalsFootnote 13 39.3% 45.9% 51.5%
Average annual RESP withdrawal per beneficiary (in 2024 constant dollars) $10,988 $11,177 $11,446

The data in this report

Data sources: the data in this report come from the CESP reporting database, which compiles information from 83 RESP promoters.

Rounding: the numbers presented in this report may not add up exactly due to rounding decimals.

Aggregation and non-Canadian residents: national totals include data on beneficiaries whose regional identity is either unknown or outside Canada. Because of this, provincial and territorial statistics may not add up precisely to the stated national total.

Historical data: except for contributions and withdrawals, all figures reported here are nominal and do not account for inflation. The 2024 report supersedes previous editions. Due to the nature of financial transactions, earlier years’ data are updated annually to reflect corrections or additional reporting by financial institutions that may have been delayed.

New CLB beneficiaries annual take-up rate: following a recommendation by the Office of the Auditor General, the CESP developed an annual CLB take-up rate. This take up is calculated as follows: Number of children who were eligible for the CLB for the first time in a given year and received a CLB payment in that year, divided by the total number of children who were eligible for the CLB for the first time in that year. This measure complements the CLB cumulative take-up rate that has been published by the CESP since the beginning of the ASR.

Reporting in constant dollars

Since 2021, the Department reports contributions and withdrawals in constant, or real dollars.Footnote 14 Current dollars refer to dollars in the current year, unadjusted for inflation. Constant dollars have been adjusted to reflect their real “purchasing power”.Footnote 15 For instance, a dollar in 1998 could buy a hotdog and a drink. In 2024, a dollar could only get a hotdog. As a result, the 1998 dollar had more purchasing power than the 2024 dollar; in other words, it could buy more.

Constant dollars show how the "purchasing power" of contributions and withdrawals changed over time, which current dollars cannot do. Using constant dollars also aligns with analyses done by the Office of the Chief Actuary (responsible for the valuation of the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security Program, Canada Student Financial Assistance Program and Employment Insurance Program), Finance Canada, the Bank of Canada, and other organizations.

Canada Education Savings Program results for 2024

All dollar values are in current dollars unless specified otherwise.

Registered Education Savings Plan assets and contributions

Table 4: Total RESP asset by year in current dollars
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
RESP assetsFootnote 16 (billions) $47.0 $51.3 $55.9 $56.1 $63.7 $69.9 $78.0 $73.0 $78.9 $89.8
Table 5: Proportion of RESP assets, CESG payments and CLB payments held by different promoter types in 2024
Type RESP assets CESG payments CLB payments
Banking servicesFootnote 17 28.8% 34.2% 57.3%
Insurance and other 6.0% 8.7% 10.2%
Investment services 48.6% 42.8% 19.0%
Scholarship plan dealers 16.5% 14.2% 13.5%
Table 6: Cumulative RESP contributions in current dollars
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Cumulative contributions made to RESPs of CLB beneficiariesFootnote 18 (billions) $4.1 $5.1 $6.3 $7.8 $9.6 $11.5 $13.6 $15.8 $18.1 $20.5
Cumulative contributions made to RESPs of CESG beneficiariesFootnote 19 (billions) $50.0 $54.4 $59.1 $64.0 $69.1 $74.3 $80.2 $85.9 $91.7 $97.8
Table 7: Average RESP contributions in 2024 in current dollars: nationally and by province and territory
Province or territory Average RESP contributionsFootnote 20
Newfoundland and Labrador $1,449
Prince Edward Island $1,579
Nova Scotia $1,596
New Brunswick $1,456
Quebec $1,700
Ontario $1,928
Manitoba $1,480
Saskatchewan $1,661
Alberta $1,702
British Columbia $1,964
Yukon $1,993
Northwest Territories $1,872
Nunavut $2,259
Canada $1,804
Table 8: Proportion of beneficiaries by contribution amount they received in their RESP
Annual contribution 2023 2024
$1 to $500 18.2% 17.7%
$501 to $1,000 20.0% 19.1%
$1,001 to $1,500 17.6% 17.0%
$1,501 to $2,000 6.6% 6.5%
$2,001 to $2,500 18.9% 19.2%
above $2,500 18.7% 20.6%
Table 9: Cumulative CESG payments since 1998 in 2024 in current dollars: nationally and by province and territory
Province or territory Cumulative CESG paymentsFootnote 21 since 1998 (millions)
Newfoundland and Labrador $182.4
Prince Edward Island $54.4
Nova Scotia $334.3
New Brunswick $254.7
Quebec $3,656.7
Ontario $8,533.2
Manitoba $491.6
Saskatchewan $520.0
Alberta $2,264.4
British Columbia $2,720.0
Yukon $17.3
Northwest Territories $14.4
Nunavut $3.3
Canada $19,088.1

Canada Education Savings Grant

Table 10: Total annual number of CESG beneficiaries
Year Number of beneficiaries in receipt of the Basic CESG only Number of beneficiaries in receipt of the 10% Additional CESG Number of beneficiaries in receipt of the 20% Additional CESG Number of beneficiaries in receipt of the CESG
2015 1,731,195 513,923 466,210 2,711,328
2016 1,758,925 544,352 487,864 2,791,141
2017 1,778,538 581,165 509,233 2,868,936
2018 1,730,296 652,293 552,016 2,934,605
2019 1,750,928 673,546 568,503 2,992,977
2020 1,775,483 691,327 554,803 3,021,613
2021 1,855,588 713,467 544,858 3,113,913
2022 1,848,684 747,987 491,760 3,088,431
2023 1,830,473 753,901 508,930 3,093,304
2024 1,878,775 724,699 527,289 3,130,763
Table 11: Cumulative number of CESG beneficiaries 0 to 17 years old in 2024, by gender
Cumulative number of CESG beneficiaries Female Male
Number of CESG beneficiariesFootnote 22 1,990,926 2,075,785
Proportion of CESG beneficiaries 49.0% 51.0%
Table 12: Number of new beneficiaries in receipt of the CESG
Year Number of new CESG beneficiaries in receipt of the Basic CESG only Number of new CESG beneficiaries in receipt of the 10% Additional CESG Number of new CESG beneficiaries in receipt of the 20% Additional CESG Number of new beneficiaries in receipt of the CESG
2015 168,133 67,549 71,815 307,497
2016 161,321 67,111 77,387 305,819
2017 157,708 67,506 75,889 301,103
2018 141,942 70,777 81,240 293,959
2019 143,644 68,453 78,305 290,402
2020 134,503 63,168 60,743 258,414
2021 163,698 71,777 59,546 295,021
2022 141,059 66,687 55,094 262,840
2023 142,040 65,820 59,915 267,775
2024 153,478 64,027 63,725 281,230
Table 13: CESG take-up rate in 2024: nationally and by province and territory
Province or territory Cumulative number of beneficiaries in receipt of the CESGFootnote 23 (0 to 17 years old) (1) Number of CESG-eligible childrenFootnote 24 (0 to 17 years old) (2) CESG take-up rateFootnote 25 (1) ÷ (2)
Newfoundland and Labrador 36,852 84,997 43.4%
Prince Edward Island 13,071 31,060 42.1%
Nova Scotia 76,430 178,015 42.9%
New Brunswick 60,888 148,151 41.1%
Quebec 1,006,506 1,682,482 59.8%
Ontario 1,555,822 2,885,900 53.9%
Manitoba 128,981 322,558 40.0%
Saskatchewan 121,382 281,459 43.1%
Alberta 533,547 1,048,359 50.9%
British Columbia 527,506 927,081 56.9%
Yukon 3,882 8,731 44.5%
Northwest Territories 3,070 9,981 30.8%
Nunavut 790 14,822 5.3%
Canada 4,068,727 7,623,596 53.4%
Table 14: Evolution of the CESG take-up rate between 2015 and 2024: nationally and by province and territory
Province or territory 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Newfoundland and Labrador 43.7% 43.8% 43.8% 44.4% 44.8% 44.8% 45.2% 44.6% 43.9% 43.4%
Prince Edward Island 41.5% 41.9% 42.2% 42.6% 42.8% 42.6% 43.4% 42.5% 42.3% 42.1%
Nova Scotia 42.3% 42.8% 43.1% 43.7% 44.3% 44.2% 44.7% 44.0% 43.2% 42.9%
New Brunswick 44.1% 44.2% 44.5% 44.9% 45.1% 44.7% 44.6% 43.3% 41.9% 41.1%
Quebec 47.7% 50.2% 52.5% 54.2% 55.4% 56.4% 58.5% 59.3% 59.7% 59.8%
Ontario 53.8% 54.3% 54.8% 55.1% 55.3% 55.1% 55.9% 55.5% 54.7% 53.9%
Manitoba 35.4% 36.4% 37.4% 38.4% 39.2% 39.4% 39.9% 40.0% 40.0% 40.0%
Saskatchewan 37.4% 38.5% 40.0% 40.9% 41.8% 42.3% 43.1% 43.4% 43.1% 43.1%
Alberta 50.2% 50.7% 51.7% 52.5% 53.3% 53.3% 54.1% 53.8% 52.4% 50.9%
British Columbia 54.1% 55.2% 56.3% 57.4% 58.0% 57.8% 58.5% 57.6% 57.3% 56.9%
Yukon 41.4% 42.5% 42.6% 43.1% 43.5% 42.7% 43.2% 43.6% 44.0% 44.5%
Northwest Territories 26.5% 27.2% 27.6% 28.3% 29.2% 29.1% 29.3% 30.0% 30.4% 30.8%
Nunavut 4.3% 4.6% 4.7% 4.8% 5.0% 4.9% 5.2% 5.1% 5.2% 5.3%
Canada 49.9% 50.9% 52.0% 52.8% 53.4% 53.6% 54.6% 54.4% 54.0% 53.4%
Table 15: CESG take-up rate, by gender
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
FemaleFootnote 26 50.0% 51.0% 52.1% 53.0% 53.7% 53.9% 55.0% 54.8% 54.3% 53.7%
MaleFootnote 27 49.7% 50.8% 51.8% 52.6% 53.1% 53.3% 54.2% 54.1% 53.6% 53.1%
TotalFootnote 28 49.9% 50.9% 52.0% 52.8% 53.4% 53.6% 54.6% 54.4% 54.0% 53.4%
Table 16: Average annual contributions for beneficiaries in receipt of the CESG in 2024 constant dollars
Year Average annual contributions for beneficiaries in receipt of the Basic CESG only Average annual contributions for beneficiaries in receipt of the 10% Additional CESG Average annual contributions for beneficiaries in receipt of the 20% Additional CESG Average annual contributions for beneficiaries in receipt of the CESG
2015 $2,177 $1,562 $1,471 $1,939
2016 $2,173 $1,563 $1,438 $1,926
2017 $2,202 $1,579 $1,438 $1,940
2018 $2,197 $1,583 $1,426 $1,916
2019 $2,185 $1,573 $1,413 $1,901
2020 $2,237 $1,613 $1,458 $1,951
2021 $2,294 $1,663 $1,491 $2,009
2022 $2,104 $1,540 $1,376 $1,851
2023 $2,049 $1,505 $1,345 $1,801
2024 $2,089 $1,541 $1,363 $1,840

Canada Learning Bond

Table 17: Annual net CLB payments in current dollars and number of beneficiaries in receipt of the CLB, by year
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Net CLB paymentsFootnote 29 (millions) $116.7 $135.7 $160.3 $185.2 $198.7 $155.1 $141.2 $158.7 $175.8 $174.3
Number of CLB beneficiaries 491,343 559,705 643,373 722,862 777,847 736,852 657,673 681,720 726,285 715,668
Table 18: Cumulative number of CLB beneficiaries and take-up rate
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Cumulative number of beneficiaries in receipt of the CLBFootnote 30 (millions) 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.9 2.0 2.2
Cumulative number of children eligible for the CLBFootnote 31 (millions) 2.6 2.8 3.1 3.4 3.7 3.9 4.1 4.4 4.7 5.0
Take-up rateFootnote 32 32.2% 33.8% 35.6% 37.4% 39.8% 40.9% 41.5% 42.3% 43.0% 43.4%
Table 19: Cumulative number of CLB beneficiaries 0 to 20 years old in 2024, by gender
Cumulative number of CLB beneficiaries Female Male
Number of CLB beneficiaries 1,068,345 1,105,054
Proportion of CLB beneficiaries 49.2% 50.8%
Table 20: Number of new beneficiaries in receipt of the CLB, by year
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Number of new CLB beneficiaries 120,032 140,215 158,765 178,546 187,135 135,137 122,240 147,798 162,636 158,847
Table 21: CLB take-up rate and CLB net payments in 2024 in current dollars: nationally and by province and territory
Province or territory Cumulative number of children in receipt of CLBFootnote 33 (1) Cumulative number of children eligible for CLBFootnote 34 (2) CLB take-up rateFootnote 32 (1) ÷ (2) Cumulative net CLB paymentFootnote 35(millions)
Newfoundland and Labrador 17,156 58,236 29.5% $17.6
Prince Edward Island 6,872 20,264 33.9% $6.9
Nova Scotia 42,500 124,449 34.2% $44.4
New Brunswick 36,394 105,487 34.5% $37.8
Quebec 549,935 1,073,392 51.2% $561.5
Ontario 795,718 1,868,642 42.6% $842.6
Manitoba 81,366 248,522 32.7% $79.7
Saskatchewan 61,684 207,652 29.7% $56.7
Alberta 279,302 682,408 40.9% $261.4
British Columbia 291,594 570,583 51.1% $287.7
Yukon 1,486 4,674 31.8% $1.3
Northwest Territories 1,110 6,927 16.0% $1.1
Nunavut 366 13,448 2.7% $0.4
Canada 2,174,222 5,012,467 43.4% $2,217.3
Table 22: Evolution of the CLB take-up rate between 2015 and 2024: nationally and by province and territory
Province or territory 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Newfoundland and Labrador 21.2% 22.0% 23.1% 24.4% 26.2% 27.2% 27.5% 28.0% 28.7% 29.5%
Prince Edward Island 23.5% 24.5% 26.2% 27.7% 29.4% 31.4% 32.0% 32.7% 33.3% 33.9%
Nova Scotia 22.3% 23.4% 24.6% 26.0% 30.1% 31.8% 32.5% 33.3% 34.0% 34.2%
New Brunswick 22.8% 23.9% 25.0% 27.4% 30.4% 31.5% 31.7% 33.1% 33.9% 34.5%
Quebec 35.8% 38.1% 40.6% 43.2% 45.8% 46.9% 48.0% 49.3% 50.3% 51.2%
Ontario 33.3% 34.4% 35.8% 37.1% 39.3% 40.4% 40.9% 41.7% 42.3% 42.6%
Manitoba 22.5% 24.1% 25.6% 27.5% 29.5% 30.5% 30.9% 31.6% 32.3% 32.7%
Saskatchewan 20.8% 22.1% 23.5% 24.7% 26.6% 27.3% 27.6% 28.3% 29.2% 29.7%
Alberta 31.9% 32.8% 34.2% 35.7% 38.2% 39.5% 39.9% 40.5% 41.0% 40.9%
British Columbia 37.1% 39.6% 42.7% 45.2% 48.1% 49.2% 49.6% 50.3% 50.9% 51.1%
Yukon 23.2% 24.7% 26.4% 27.9% 31.0% 31.7% 31.6% 31.9% 32.1% 31.8%
Northwest Territories 10.3% 10.8% 11.2% 12.0% 14.6% 15.4% 15.7% 15.8% 16.1% 16.0%
Nunavut 1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 2.0% 2.4% 2.6% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7%
Canada 32.2% 33.8% 35.6% 37.4% 39.8% 40.9% 41.5% 42.3% 43.0% 43.4%
Table 23: New CLB beneficiaries annual take-up rate
Benefit yearFootnote 36 Number of children who were eligible for the CLB for the first time and received a CLB payment (1) Number of children who were eligible for the CLB for the first time (2) New CLB beneficiaries annual take-upFootnote 37 (1) ÷ (2)
2014-2015 39,035 240,539 16.2%
2015-2016 46,059 264,668 17.4%
2016-2017 51,109 264,907 19.3%
2017-2018 55,358 277,798 19.9%
2018-2019 54,212 272,929 19.9%
2019-2020 52,881 269,320 19.6%
2020-2021 40,833 235,897 17.3%
2021-2022 42,847 240,762 17.8%
2022-2023 53,503 283,874 18.8%
2023-2024 60,795 320,917 18.9%
Table 24: Contributions made to the RESPs of CLB beneficiaries in 2024 constant dollars
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Proportion of RESPs that receive some contributionFootnote 38 78.2% 76.9% 74.8% 73.2% 72.7% 72.2% 72.9% 71.2% 70.3% 70.3%
Average contributionFootnote 39 $1,353 $1,348 $1,385 $1,388 $1,404 $1,452 $1,507 $1,383 $1,367 $1,371
Table 25: Number of CLB-eligible individuals and CLB beneficiaries born before 2007, and CLB payments to adult beneficiaries in current dollars, as of December 31, 2024: nationally and by province
ProvinceFootnote 40 Number of CLB-eligible children born before 2007 Number of CLB beneficiaries born before 2007 (including adult CLB beneficiariesFootnote 41) Number of CLB-eligible children born before 2007 who have not received the CLB CLB take‑up rate for those born before 2007 Annual number of adult CLB beneficiaries in 2024 Annual amount of CLB paid to adult beneficiaries in 2024
Newfoundland and Labrador 10,311 3,876 6,435 37.6% 212 $269,752
Prince Edward Island 3,359 1,422 1,937 42.3% 76 $91,275
Nova Scotia 19,600 8,115 11,485 41.4% 308 $395,091
New Brunswick 16,418 7,370 9,048 44.9% 185 $217,441
Quebec 175,609 101,298 74,311 57.7% 4,730 $5,793,186
Ontario 310,439 165,296 145,143 53.2% 7,095 $8,575,283
Manitoba 37,312 15,648 21,664 41.9% 437 $508,384
Saskatchewan 31,613 12,179 19,434 38.5% 372 $458,155
Alberta 106,895 53,323 53,572 49.9% 1,510 $1,580,245
British Columbia 101,088 57,413 43,675 56.8% 1,520 $1,625,470
Canada 823,604 429,055 394,549 52.1% 16,458 $19,498,754

Registered Education Savings Plan withdrawals for postsecondary education

Table 26: RESP withdrawals in 2024 constant dollars and number of beneficiaries making RESP withdrawals
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
RESP withdrawals (billions) $4.2 $4.5 $4.7 $4.9 $5.2 $4.7 $5.6 $5.5 $6.1 $6.7
Number of beneficiaries making RESP withdrawals 397,567 422,568 434,078 446,545 466,414 422,927 484,136 499,081 547,197 583,079
Average RESP withdrawals $10,547 $10,669 $10,901 $11,063 $11,189 $11,046 $11,523 $10,988 $11,177 $11,446
Table 27: RESP withdrawals of CLB beneficiaries in 2024 constant dollars
Year 2023 2024
RESP withdrawals of CLB beneficiaries (billions) $1.3 $1.9
Number of CLB beneficiaries making RESP withdrawals 123,171 177,056
Average RESP withdrawals of CLB beneficiaries $10,857 $10,524
Table 28: RESP withdrawals for beneficiaries from families with low and middle income in 2024 constant dollars
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
(1) Total withdrawals from the RESPs of beneficiaries belonging to families with low and middle incomeFootnote 42 (billions) $0.8 $0.9 $1.0 $1.2 $1.3 $1.3 $1.7 $2.0 $2.6 $3.1
(2) Number of beneficiaries belonging to families with low and middle income with RESP withdrawalsFootnote 43 73,077 87,098 98,821 111,267 126,821 124,898 158,162 196,000 251,203 300,332
(3) Average RESP withdrawals (1) ÷ (2) $10,460 $10,336 $10,359 $10,454 $10,535 $10,596 $10,697 $10,182 $10,296 $10,420
(4) Percentage of withdrawals made from the RESPs of beneficiaries belonging to families with low and middle incomeFootnote 44 18.2% 20.0% 21.6% 23.5% 25.6% 28.3% 30.3% 36.4% 42.3% 46.9%
(5) Percentage of beneficiaries from families with low and middle income with RESP withdrawalsFootnote 45 18.4% 20.6% 22.8% 24.9% 27.2% 29.5% 32.7% 39.3% 45.9% 51.5%
Table 29: EAP and PSE withdrawals in 2024 constant dollars
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
EAPFootnote 46 (billions) $1.7 $1.8 $2.0 $2.1 $2.3 $2.1 $2.7 $2.6 $2.8 $3.4
PSE withdrawalsFootnote 47 (billions) $2.5 $2.7 $2.7 $2.8 $3.0 $2.5 $2.9 $2.9 $3.3 $3.2
Total RESP withdrawalsFootnote 48 (billions) $4.2 $4.5 $4.7 $4.9 $5.2 $4.7 $5.6 $5.5 $6.1 $6.7
Table 30: EAP and PSE withdrawals of CLB beneficiaries in 2024 constant dollars
Year 2023 2024
EAPFootnote 49 (millions) $569 $929
PSE withdrawalsFootnote 50 (millions) $768 $934
Total RESP withdrawalsFootnote 51 (millions) $1,337 $1,863
Table 31: Proportion of beneficiaries with RESP withdrawals, by gender
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
FemaleFootnote 52 52.9% 52.9% 53.0% 53.0% 53.0% 53.3% 53.3% 53.3% 53.1% 53.0%
MaleFootnote 53 47.1% 47.1% 47.0% 47.0% 47.0% 46.7% 46.7% 46.7% 46.8% 47.0%
Table 32: Average RESP withdrawals by gender in 2024 constant dollars
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
FemaleFootnote 54 $10,356 $10,453 $10,721 $10,852 $10,953 $10,800 $11,248 $10,766 $10,973 $11,195
MaleFootnote 55 $10,760 $10,912 $11,103 $11,301 $11,455 $11,326 $11,837 $11,241 $11,410 $11,730
TotalFootnote 56 $10,547 $10,669 $10,901 $11,063 $11,189 $11,046 $11,523 $10,988 $11,177 $11,446

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