Central government debt, total (current LCU) in Canada
Canada: Central government debt, total (current LCU) was 1.99 trillion current LCU in 2024. ▲ Rising
Central government debt, total in Canada, 1990–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for central government debt, total in Canada is 1.99 trillion current LCU, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.2% on the previous year and up 94.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government debt, total in Canada peaked at 1.99 trillion current LCU in 2024 and was at its lowest, 429.56 billion current LCU, in 1990.
Canada ranks 31st of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Central government debt, total (current LCU) in Canada, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 429.56 billion current LCU | — |
| 1991 | 473.31 billion current LCU | +10.2% |
| 1992 | 507.95 billion current LCU | +7.3% |
| 1993 | 561.68 billion current LCU | +10.6% |
| 1994 | 601.45 billion current LCU | +7.1% |
| 1995 | 642.95 billion current LCU | +6.9% |
| 1996 | 671.00 billion current LCU | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 679.52 billion current LCU | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 681.73 billion current LCU | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 667.70 billion current LCU | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 649.68 billion current LCU | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 657.63 billion current LCU | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 646.37 billion current LCU | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 643.32 billion current LCU | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 625.13 billion current LCU | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 654.80 billion current LCU | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 647.89 billion current LCU | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 617.79 billion current LCU | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 750.98 billion current LCU | +21.6% |
| 2009 | 835.83 billion current LCU | +11.3% |
| 2010 | 885.50 billion current LCU | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 960.11 billion current LCU | +8.4% |
| 2012 | 1.02 trillion current LCU | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 1.01 trillion current LCU | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.03 trillion current LCU | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.11 trillion current LCU | +8.5% |
| 2016 | 1.13 trillion current LCU | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 1.17 trillion current LCU | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 1.19 trillion current LCU | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 1.23 trillion current LCU | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 1.66 trillion current LCU | +34.1% |
| 2021 | 1.74 trillion current LCU | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 1.70 trillion current LCU | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 1.79 trillion current LCU | +5.3% |
| 2024 | 1.99 trillion current LCU | +11.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 1.99 trillion current LCU is above the median for high income countries, which is 359.73 billion current LCU, 5.5× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 591.69 billion current LCU | 429.56 billion current LCU | 681.73 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 672.94 billion current LCU | 617.79 billion current LCU | 835.83 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.07 trillion current LCU | 885.50 billion current LCU | 1.23 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.78 trillion current LCU | 1.66 trillion current LCU | 1.99 trillion current LCU | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More public sector data for Canada
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 83.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 3.61 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 96.05 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government debt, total in Canada?
- Central government debt, total in Canada was 1.99 trillion current LCU in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest central government debt, total recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 1.99 trillion current LCU in 2024.
- What is the lowest central government debt, total recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 429.56 billion current LCU in 1990.
- How does Canada rank for central government debt, total?
- Canada ranks 31st out of 83 countries with data for 2024.
- Is central government debt, total rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 94.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Central government debt, total (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.