The Mortgage Ledger

Canada

Canada amortization calculator

A year-by-year breakdown of how each payment splits between interest and principal, and how the balance falls over time.

Your mortgage

Year-by-year breakdown

Total interest: $275,826 · Paid off August 2051

Early on, most of each payment is interest; the balance falls slowly at first, then faster. That's the shape of every amortizing mortgage.

YearPrincipalInterestBalance
1$5,399$17,634$294,601
2$5,728$17,305$288,873
3$6,077$16,956$282,796
4$6,447$16,586$276,350
5$6,839$16,194$269,510
6$7,256$15,777$262,254
7$7,698$15,335$254,556
8$8,167$14,866$246,390
9$8,664$14,369$237,726
10$9,192$13,841$228,534
11$9,751$13,282$218,783
12$10,345$12,688$208,438
13$10,975$12,058$197,462
14$11,644$11,389$185,819
15$12,353$10,680$173,466
16$13,105$9,928$160,361
17$13,903$9,130$146,458
18$14,750$8,283$131,708
19$15,648$7,385$116,060
20$16,601$6,432$99,459
21$17,612$5,421$81,847
22$18,685$4,348$63,163
23$19,822$3,211$43,340
24$21,030$2,003$22,310
25$22,310$723$0

An estimate for planning — not financial advice. Principal & interest only; property tax, insurance and any fees are separate.

A Canadian amortization schedule shows how each payment splits between interest and principal — with one wrinkle: Canadian mortgages compound interest semi-annually, so the schedule differs slightly from a US loan at the same posted rate. This calculator lays out the full breakdown.

How this calculator works

Interest is worked out with the semi-annual compounding convention, then applied monthly; the rest of your payment pays down principal. Early payments are mostly interest, shifting toward principal over time.

Canadian mortgages also renew — you typically hold a five-year term inside a 25-year amortization — so you'll re-sign several times before the schedule completes.

Seeing the schedule helps you weigh a shorter amortization, which saves interest, against a longer one, which lowers the payment.

A worked example

A $500,000 loan at a 6.5% example rate over 25 years, semi-annual compounding — year one:

Monthly payment (P&I)
$3,349/mo
Interest paid in year 1
$31,825
Principal paid in year 1
$8,364
Total interest over 25 years
$504,736

A 25-year amortization pays far less total interest than a 30-year one at the same rate.

Who it's for

  • You want the Canadian interest-vs-principal breakdown.
  • You're unsure how term differs from amortization.
  • You're deciding whether to shorten your amortization.

Frequently asked questions

How does amortization work in Canada?

Interest is computed with semi-annual compounding on the outstanding balance, and the remainder of the payment reduces principal — mostly interest early on, shifting to principal over the years.

What's the difference between term and amortization?

The amortization is the full payoff period (often 25 years); the term is the length of your current rate contract (often five years), after which you renew.

How much interest will I pay over the amortization?

It depends on rate and length — a $500,000 loan at 6.5% over 25 years is shown above. A shorter amortization cuts this substantially.

Can prepayments shorten the amortization?

Yes — within your lender's prepayment privileges, lump sums and payment increases go straight to principal and shorten the schedule. See the overpayment calculator.