Health spending as a share of total government spending in Canada
Canada: Health spending as a share of total government spending was 18.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Health spending as a share of total government spending in Canada, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for health spending as a share of total government spending in Canada is 18.7%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, health spending as a share of total government spending in Canada peaked at 19.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 14.8%, in 2000.
That places Canada 17th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Health spending as a share of total government spending in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.8% | — |
| 2001 | 15.3% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 15.9% | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 16.4% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 16.9% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 16.8% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 17.1% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 17.3% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 17.3% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 17.4% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 18.2% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 18.5% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 19.0% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 19.1% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 19.0% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 18.8% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 18.7% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 18.9% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 18.4% | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | +7.8% |
| 2022 | 19.4% | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 18.7% | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.5% | 14.8% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.5% | 17.4% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.1% | 18.4% | 19.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,083 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 385 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.0542 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0731 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.0818 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0767 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is health spending as a share of total government spending in Canada?
- Health spending as a share of total government spending in Canada was 18.7% in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.8% in 2000.
- How does Canada rank for health spending as a share of total government spending?
- Canada ranks 17th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is health spending as a share of total government spending rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Health spending as a share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Domestic general government health expenditure expressed as a percentage of total expenditure of the general government.