Australia vs Canada: Government spending per capita
Australia
29,639 current international-$
in 2024
Canada
29,521 current international-$
in 2024
Australia rank
16th
Canada rank
17th
Government spending per capita over time
- Australia
- Canada
How they compare
Australia currently reports 29,639 current international-$ against 29,521 current international-$ in Canada, a difference of 118 current international-$.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Canada ahead.
Australia ranks 16th and Canada ranks 17th of 43 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and Canada in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Canada | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14,822 current international-$ | 16,254 current international-$ | 1,432 current international-$ | Canada |
| 2010s | 17,965 current international-$ | 18,802 current international-$ | 836.96 current international-$ | Canada |
| 2020s | 27,283 current international-$ | 27,172 current international-$ | 111.04 current international-$ | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending per capita, Australia or Canada?
- Australia, at 29,639 current international-$ against 29,521 current international-$ in Canada as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending per capita between Australia and Canada?
- 118 current international-$, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Canada?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2024.
- How do Australia and Canada rank globally for government spending per capita?
- Australia ranks 16th and Canada ranks 17th of 43 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total amount of money the general government spends per capita. This data is adjusted for differences in living costs between countries but not for inflation.