Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Canada
Canada: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 10.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Canada, 1981–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2022, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Canada stood at 10.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.5% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Canada peaked at 15.6% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 9.1%, in 2021.
That places Canada 140th out of 197 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Canada, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 15.6% | — |
| 1982 | 15.5% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 14.8% | -4.9% |
| 1984 | 14.1% | -4.6% |
| 1985 | 13.2% | -6.1% |
| 1986 | 12.7% | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 13.5% | +6.1% |
| 1988 | 13.5% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 13.6% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 13.2% | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 14.3% | +8.1% |
| 1992 | 13.1% | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 14.6% | +11.5% |
| 1994 | 12.9% | -11.6% |
| 1995 | 12.9% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 12.6% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 12.7% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 13.0% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 12.2% | -5.9% |
| 2002 | 12.1% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 12.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 12.3% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 12.0% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 12.5% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 12.3% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 12.2% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 11.2% | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 12.1% | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 12.0% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 12.2% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 12.1% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 11.7% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 12.0% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 9.1% | -24.7% |
| 2022 | 10.7% | +17.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.1% | 12.7% | 15.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 13.3% | 12.6% | 14.6% | 8 |
| 2000s | 12.3% | 12.0% | 13.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 12.0% | 11.2% | 12.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 10.6% | 9.1% | 12.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More education data for Canada
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Canada?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Canada was 10.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 1981.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.1% in 2021.
- How does Canada rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Canada ranks 140th out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release