Overview of government spending by function, 2024/2025

Release date: November 27, 2025
Infographic: Overview of government spending by function, 2024/2025
Description: Overview of government spending by function, 2024/2025

In 2024/2025, spending on social protection, health and education represented 60.9% of all government spending in Canada.

Per capita spending by federal, provincial/territorial and local governments combinedNote 1Note 2Note 3
 Function 2023/2024 2024/2025 Change
Environmental protection $795 $946 +19.0%
Defence $587 $665 +13.3%
Housing and community amenities $394 $425 +7.9%
General public services $3,857 $4,143 +7.4%
Health $6,185 $6,468 +4.6%
Education $3,245 $3,370 +3.9%
Public order and safety $1,279 $1,319 +3.1%
Recreation, culture and religion $601 $601 0.0%
Social protection $7,134 $6,805 -4.6%
Economic affairs $2,817 $2,590 -8.1%
Per capita spending on health by provincial/territorial and local governments combined,Note 1Note 2Note 3 2024/2025
  2024/2025
Alta. $5,669
B.C. $6,900
Man. $6,951
N.B. $7,036
N.L. $8,026
N.W.T. $18,877
N.S. $7,252
Nvt. $22,489
Ont. $5,679
P.E.I. $6,150
Que. $6,512
Sask. $6,556
Y.T. $10,252

While spending on social protection by federal, provincial/territorial and local governments combined decreased 3.2% in 2024/2025, spending in this area by provincial/territorial and local governments rose 5.7% to $111.6 billion.

Provincial/territorial and local governments spent $258.9 billion on health care – twice the amount spent on education ($130.7 billion).

Sources: Statistics Canada, table 17-10-0009-01 – Population estimates, quarterly, table 10-10-0024-01 – Canadian classification of functions of government, by general government component (x 1,000,000), and table 10-10-0005-01 – Canadian Classification of Functions of Government (CCOFOG) by consolidated government component (x 1,000,000).

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