Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Canada

Canada: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 26.8% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
26.8%
Change on year
up 10.2%
World rank
83rd
of 190 countries
All-time high
30.9%
in 2014
All-time low
24.4%
in 2020
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Canada, 2000–2021

01020302000201020212000: 27.42001: 27.22002: 28.12003: 28.62004: 28.62005: 28.52006: 28.72007: 292008: 29.32009: 29.32010: 28.72011: 29.22012: 29.62013: 30.32014: 30.92015: 30.42016: 302017: 29.72018: 29.82019: 29.62020: 24.42021: 26.8

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

In 2021, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Canada stood at 26.8%.

The figure is up 10.2% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Canada peaked at 30.9% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 24.4%, in 2020.

Canada ranks 83rd of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Canada, 2000 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2000 27.4%
2001 27.2% -0.8%
2002 28.1% +3.5%
2003 28.6% +1.6%
2004 28.6% +0.1%
2005 28.5% -0.3%
2006 28.7% +0.7%
2007 29.0% +1.1%
2008 29.3% +0.8%
2009 29.3% +0.0%
2010 28.7% -1.8%
2011 29.2% +1.8%
2012 29.6% +1.3%
2013 30.3% +2.3%
2014 30.9% +1.9%
2015 30.4% -1.7%
2016 30.0% -1.1%
2017 29.7% -1.2%
2018 29.8% +0.3%
2019 29.6% -0.6%
2020 24.4% -17.6%
2021 26.8% +10.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 28.5% 27.2% 29.3% 10
2010s 29.8% 28.7% 30.9% 10
2020s 25.6% 24.4% 26.8% 2

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 80 Chile 27.1% compare
  2. 81 Micronesia, Federated States of 27.1% compare
  3. 82 Kosovo 27.0% compare
  4. 84 Papua New Guinea 26.8% compare
  5. 85 Yemen 26.7% compare
  6. 86 Peru 26.6% compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Canada?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Canada was 26.8% in 2021, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 30.9% in 2014.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 24.4% in 2020.
How does Canada rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
Canada ranks 83rd out of 190 countries with data for 2021.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Canada. Statizoid. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
190 places, 4,096 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed