Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in Canada
Canada: Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) was 68.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Subsidies and other transfers in Canada, 1990–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for subsidies and other transfers in Canada is 68.9%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, subsidies and other transfers in Canada peaked at 80.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 52.2%, in 1990.
Canada ranks 15th of 152 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense) in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52.2% | — |
| 1991 | 54.9% | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 57.0% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 57.4% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 56.9% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 55.5% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 55.2% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 55.7% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 55.3% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 56.4% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 55.1% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 57.5% | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 58.4% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 60.6% | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 61.3% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 64.2% | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 63.4% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 64.5% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 65.0% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 66.3% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 67.4% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 66.1% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 67.9% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 69.0% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 70.5% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 71.4% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 71.1% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 70.9% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 71.5% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 80.0% | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 76.1% | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 71.0% | -6.7% |
| 2023 | 68.9% | -3.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 68.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 48.0%, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.6% | 52.2% | 57.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.6% | 55.1% | 66.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.3% | 66.1% | 71.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.0% | 68.9% | 80.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 12 Australia 69.4% compare
- 13 North Macedonia 69.1% compare
- 14 Kazakhstan 69.0% compare
- 16 Argentina 68.8% compare
- 17 South Korea 68.5% compare
- 18 Moldova 66.0% compare
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 subsidies and other transfers in Canada?
- Subsidies and other transfers in Canada was 68.9% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest subsidies and other transfers recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 80.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest subsidies and other transfers recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.2% in 1990.
- How does Canada rank for subsidies and other transfers?
- Canada ranks 15th out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
- Is subsidies and other transfers rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. 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 Subsidies and other transfers (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Subsidies are current unrequited payments that government units, including nonresident government units, make to enterprises on the basis of the levels of their production activities or the quantities or values of the goods or services that they produce, sell, export or import. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.