General government total expenditure (current LCU) in Canada
Canada: General government total expenditure (current LCU) was 1.42 trillion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.42 trillion current LCU
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
72nd
of 197 countries
All-time high
1.42 trillion current LCU
in 2025
All-time low
132.17 billion current LCU
in 1980
Years of data
46
1980–2025
General government total expenditure in Canada, 1980–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2025, general government total expenditure in Canada stood at 1.42 trillion current LCU. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 78.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government total expenditure in Canada peaked at 1.42 trillion current LCU in 2025 and was at its lowest, 132.17 billion current LCU, in 1980.
Canada ranks 72nd of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
General government total expenditure (current LCU) in Canada, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 132.17 billion current LCU | — |
| 1981 | 154.09 billion current LCU | +16.6% |
| 1982 | 180.11 billion current LCU | +16.9% |
| 1983 | 197.89 billion current LCU | +9.9% |
| 1984 | 216.02 billion current LCU | +9.2% |
| 1985 | 237.36 billion current LCU | +9.9% |
| 1986 | 246.50 billion current LCU | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 260.91 billion current LCU | +5.8% |
| 1988 | 280.61 billion current LCU | +7.6% |
| 1989 | 303.91 billion current LCU | +8.3% |
| 1990 | 334.47 billion current LCU | +10.1% |
| 1991 | 360.98 billion current LCU | +7.9% |
| 1992 | 377.23 billion current LCU | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 384.56 billion current LCU | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 388.16 billion current LCU | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 396.97 billion current LCU | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 394.35 billion current LCU | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 394.18 billion current LCU | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 408.25 billion current LCU | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 421.05 billion current LCU | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 448.60 billion current LCU | +6.5% |
| 2001 | 470.43 billion current LCU | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 482.18 billion current LCU | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 505.36 billion current LCU | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 522.73 billion current LCU | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 547.61 billion current LCU | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 578.60 billion current LCU | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 607.70 billion current LCU | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 642.52 billion current LCU | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 682.28 billion current LCU | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 717.47 billion current LCU | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 737.57 billion current LCU | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 747.80 billion current LCU | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 760.15 billion current LCU | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 765.45 billion current LCU | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 796.54 billion current LCU | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 825.47 billion current LCU | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 866.00 billion current LCU | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 909.08 billion current LCU | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 939.07 billion current LCU | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 1.16 trillion current LCU | +23.8% |
| 2021 | 1.15 trillion current LCU | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 1.16 trillion current LCU | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.24 trillion current LCU | +6.6% |
| 2024 | 1.37 trillion current LCU | +11.2% |
| 2025 | 1.42 trillion current LCU | +3.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 1.42 trillion current LCU is above the median for high income countries, which is 134.14 billion current LCU, 10.6× the median. (68 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 220.96 billion current LCU | 132.17 billion current LCU | 303.91 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 386.02 billion current LCU | 334.47 billion current LCU | 421.05 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 548.80 billion current LCU | 448.60 billion current LCU | 682.28 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 806.46 billion current LCU | 717.47 billion current LCU | 939.07 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.25 trillion current LCU | 1.15 trillion current LCU | 1.42 trillion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 69 Dominican Republic 1.55 trillion current LCU compare
- 70 Equatorial Guinea 1.50 trillion current LCU compare
- 71 Denmark 1.49 trillion current LCU compare
- 73 Nepal 1.33 trillion current LCU compare
- 74 Saudi Arabia 1.33 trillion current LCU compare
- 75 United Kingdom 1.31 trillion current LCU compare
More population data for Canada
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2634 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 45,891 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7644 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.3863 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Population density 6.1 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.33 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government total expenditure in Canada?
- General government total expenditure in Canada was 1.42 trillion current LCU in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest general government total expenditure recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 1.42 trillion current LCU in 2025.
- What is the lowest general government total expenditure recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 132.17 billion current LCU in 1980.
- How does Canada rank for general government total expenditure?
- Canada ranks 72nd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government total expenditure rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 78.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of General government total expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release