Government spending as share of GDP in Canada
Canada: Government spending as share of GDP was 44.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Government spending as share of GDP in Canada, 1870–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending as share of gdp in Canada is 44.7%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 6.2% on the previous year and up 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Canada peaked at 53.3% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1891.
That places Canada 28th out of 151 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 6.9% | 4.9% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 1880s | 7.4% | 5.9% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 1890s | 5.7% | 2.0% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1900s | 6.1% | 4.2% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1910s | 11.0% | 5.7% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 1920s | 8.3% | 6.5% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 1930s | 11.3% | 7.7% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 1940s | 28.7% | 14.0% | 48.2% | 10 |
| 1950s | 15.5% | 14.6% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 29.7% | 14.9% | 33.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 38.9% | 36.0% | 41.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.0% | 41.6% | 48.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 48.3% | 42.7% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.0% | 38.5% | 43.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.6% | 38.4% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.1% | 40.6% | 52.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More economy & growth data for Canada
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP -0.8% (2025)
- Inflation of consumer prices 2.1% (2025)
- GDP per capita 45,418 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP) 9.3% (2022)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) 1.89 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP per capita in international and market dollars 45,418 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 1.4 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -6.38 billion current LCU (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -4.56 billion current US$ (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 202.56 billion current LCU (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Canada?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Canada was 44.7% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 53.3% in 1992.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1891.
- How does Canada rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Canada ranks 28th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 155 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.