Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Canada
Canada: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 3.69 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Canada, 1988–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Canada stood at 3.69.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.8% on the previous year and up 26.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Canada peaked at 4.34 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 2.51, in 2013.
That places Canada 125th out of 162 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 4.34 | — |
| 1989 | 4.19 | -3.5% |
| 1990 | 3.98 | -4.9% |
| 1991 | 3.6 | -9.6% |
| 1992 | 3.46 | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 3.44 | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 3.37 | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 3.17 | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 2.98 | -6.1% |
| 1997 | 2.79 | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 2.82 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 2.9 | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 2.75 | -5.2% |
| 2001 | 2.76 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 2.76 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 2.76 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 2.82 | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 2.87 | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 2.9 | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 3.08 | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 3.21 | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 3.17 | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 2.77 | -12.6% |
| 2011 | 2.87 | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 2.73 | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 2.51 | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 2.84 | +13.4% |
| 2015 | 2.93 | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 2.8 | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 3.21 | +14.3% |
| 2018 | 3.08 | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 3.01 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 2.71 | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 2.69 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 2.82 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 3.16 | +11.8% |
| 2024 | 3.05 | -3.3% |
| 2025 | 3.69 | +20.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.26 | 4.19 | 4.34 | 2 |
| 1990s | 3.25 | 2.79 | 3.98 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.91 | 2.75 | 3.21 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.88 | 2.51 | 3.21 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.02 | 2.69 | 3.69 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in Canada?
- Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Canada was 3.69 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 4.34 in 1988.
- What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.51 in 2013.
- How does Canada rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
- Canada ranks 125th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Military expenditure as a share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).