Canada — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Canada, 1971–2022.
Education spending for Canada was 4.84% in 2022, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 46 years, from 1971 to 2022. The highest recorded value was 7.68% in 1971. The lowest was 4.59% in 2013 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.90% per year.
Canada ranks 62 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 36%. The median for North America is 4.84%, so Canada sits level with it. It peaked in 1971 and has fallen 37% since. Over the last decade (2013–2022) the figure moved up 6%. Its sharpest one-year move was up 15% in 1991.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 1st of 53 in 1971 → 7th of 63 in 1980 → 2nd of 50 in 1990 → 26th of 116 in 2000 → 36th of 130 in 2010 → 61st of 157 in 2020 → 48th of 150 in 2022.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2022
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4.84% | +0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 4.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 4.89% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 4.77% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 4.89% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 4.96% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 4.82% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 4.74% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 4.84% | +0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 4.59% | -0.7 pp |
| 2011 | 5.26% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 5.36% | +0.5 pp |
| 2009 | 4.84% | +0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 4.63% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 4.77% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 4.77% | -0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 4.99% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 4.95% | -0.5 pp |
| 2000 | 5.42% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 5.53% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 5.49% | -0.8 pp |
| 1995 | 6.3% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 6.66% | -1.0 pp |
| 1993 | 7.68% | +0.9 pp |
| 1992 | 6.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 6.86% | +0.9 pp |
| 1990 | 5.97% | -0.1 pp |
| 1989 | 6.07% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 6.15% | -0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 6.3% | +0.3 pp |
| 1986 | 6.02% | -0.2 pp |
| 1985 | 6.19% | -0.4 pp |
| 1984 | 6.62% | -0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 6.86% | +0.4 pp |
| 1982 | 6.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 6.41% | -0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 6.46% | -0.2 pp |
| 1979 | 6.69% | -0.4 pp |
| 1978 | 7.07% | +0.4 pp |
| 1977 | 6.71% | +0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 6.7% | +0.3 pp |
| 1975 | 6.42% | -0.2 pp |
| 1974 | 6.67% | -0.3 pp |
| 1973 | 7.01% | -0.6 pp |
| 1972 | 7.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 7.68% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Canada’s Education spending in 1972?
7.59% (1972). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Canada’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2022 the series was shrinking overall: -37.0% in total — about 0.9% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2022: 4.84%; 2021: 4.75%; 2020: 4.89%; 2019: 4.77%; 2018: 4.89%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.