Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Canada
Canada: Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social was 30.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Canada, 2008–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Canada is 30.5%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 4.1% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Canada peaked at 34.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 28.1%, in 2008.
That places Canada 41st out of 114 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 28.1% | — |
| 2009 | 28.8% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 28.3% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 28.2% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 28.5% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 28.7% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 29.1% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 29.7% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 30.3% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 30.3% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 30.2% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 29.9% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 34.8% | +16.3% |
| 2021 | 31.3% | -10.1% |
| 2022 | 30.2% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 31.8% | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 30.5% | -4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.5% | 28.1% | 28.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.3% | 28.2% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.7% | 30.2% | 34.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More poverty & inequality data for Canada
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.35 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,695 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -9.41 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.78 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Canada?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Canada was 30.5% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 34.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.1% in 2008.
- How does Canada rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social?
- Canada ranks 41st out of 114 countries with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social protection (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).