Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent in Canada

Canada: Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent was 0.2153 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.2153
Change on year
up 143.2%
World rank
10th
of 64 countries
All-time high
0.2153
in 2020
All-time low
-0.5212
in 2014
Years of data
31
1990–2020

Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent in Canada, 1990–2020

-0.6-0.4-0.2-00.21990200520201990: -0.0021991: 0.0151992: -0.0081993: 0.0171994: -0.0131995: -0.0551996: -0.1291997: -0.2961998: -0.3081999: -0.3562000: -0.4162001: -0.3822002: -0.3442003: -0.3542004: -0.3862005: -0.4342006: -0.462007: -0.4912008: -0.4452009: -0.2632010: -0.2422011: -0.3012012: -0.3342013: -0.392014: -0.5212015: -0.5092016: -0.452017: -0.4492018: -0.4882019: -0.4992020: 0.215

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

In 2020, vertical fiscal imbalance, percent in Canada stood at 0.2153. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.

That represents a change of up 143.2% on the previous year and up 189.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, vertical fiscal imbalance, percent in Canada peaked at 0.2153 in 2020 and was at its lowest, -0.5212, in 2014.

That places Canada 10th out of 64 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent (Central government) in Canada, 1990 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1990 -0.0016
1991 0.0152 -1060.7%
1992 -0.0079 -151.6%
1993 0.0169 -314.7%
1994 -0.013 -177.3%
1995 -0.0545 +317.8%
1996 -0.1293 +137.1%
1997 -0.2959 +128.9%
1998 -0.3075 +3.9%
1999 -0.3556 +15.6%
2000 -0.4164 +17.1%
2001 -0.3821 -8.2%
2002 -0.344 -10.0%
2003 -0.3543 +3.0%
2004 -0.3858 +8.9%
2005 -0.4338 +12.4%
2006 -0.4601 +6.1%
2007 -0.4915 +6.8%
2008 -0.445 -9.5%
2009 -0.2632 -40.9%
2010 -0.242 -8.1%
2011 -0.3011 +24.4%
2012 -0.334 +11.0%
2013 -0.3898 +16.7%
2014 -0.5212 +33.7%
2015 -0.5092 -2.3%
2016 -0.4502 -11.6%
2017 -0.4494 -0.2%
2018 -0.4876 +8.5%
2019 -0.4989 +2.3%
2020 0.2153 -143.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s -0.1133 -0.3556 0.0169 10
2000s -0.3976 -0.4915 -0.2632 10
2010s -0.4183 -0.5212 -0.242 10
2020s 0.2153 0.2153 0.2153 1

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 7 Senegal 0.2802 compare
  2. 8 Mauritius 0.2717 compare
  3. 9 Costa Rica 0.2529 compare
  4. 11 Chile 0.207 compare
  5. 12 Armenia 0.1925 compare
  6. 13 Guatemala 0.1795 compare

See the full ranking of 64 places →

More public sector data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is vertical fiscal imbalance, percent in Canada?
Vertical fiscal imbalance, percent in Canada was 0.2153 in 2020, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest vertical fiscal imbalance, percent recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 0.2153 in 2020.
What is the lowest vertical fiscal imbalance, percent recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was -0.5212 in 2014.
How does Canada rank for vertical fiscal imbalance, percent?
Canada ranks 10th out of 64 countries with data for 2020.
Is vertical fiscal imbalance, percent rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 189.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent (Central government). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/vertical-fiscal-imbalance-percent-central-government/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Vertical fiscal imbalance, Percent (Central government)
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
64 places, 1,123 data points, 1989–2020
Last refreshed

The Fiscal Decentralization dataset includes fiscal decentralization indicators for a sample of IMF member countries. The following indicators are included in the dataset: Revenue and Expenditure Decentralization Shares; Transfer dependency and Vertical Fiscal Imbalances; Deficit and Debt; Allocation of expenditure (economic classification); Allocation of expenditure (functional classification); Allocation of non-Tax Revenues; and Allocation of Taxes.