Government expenditure on education, total in Canada
Canada: Government expenditure on education, total was 10.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on education, total in Canada, 1981–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2022, government expenditure on education, total 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, government expenditure on education, total in Canada peaked at 15.6% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 9.1%, in 2021.
That places Canada 140th out of 193 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.
Government expenditure on education, total in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | 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 government expenditure on education, total in Canada?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Canada was 10.7% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 1981.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.1% in 2021.
- How does Canada rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Canada ranks 140th out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government expenditure on education, total 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 Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.