Expenses

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Expenses consist of all charges which enter the calculation of the annual deficit or surplus of the government.

Accounting for expenses

The government reports all expenses on an accrual basis.

Expenses for government operations are recorded when goods are received or services are rendered. Transfer payments are recorded as expenses in the year the transfer is authorized and all eligibility criteria have been met by the recipient. Public debt charges include effective interest calculated on market debt, as well as interest on public sector pensions and other employee and veteran future benefits.

Table 3.6
External expenses by segment and by typeLinks to footnote * in Table 3.6
(in millions of dollars)

  Major transfer paymentsLinks to footnote 1 in Table 3.6Links to footnote 2 in Table 3.6 Other transfer paymentsLinks to footnote 2 in Table 3.6Links to footnote 3 in Table 3.6 Total transfer payments Other expenses Public debt chargesLinks to footnote 7 in Table 3.6 Total expenses
2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024 2025 2024
Ministries
Agriculture and Agri-Food 2,799 4,300 2,799 4,300 1,154 1,124 3,953 5,424
Canadian HeritageLinks to footnote 4 in Table 3.6Links to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 2,250 2,185 2,250 2,185 5,124 4,600 12 12 7,386 6,797
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs 12,971 9,588 12,971 9,588 (negative 359) 11,276 12,612 20,864
Democratic InstitutionsLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 2 2 2 2 302 251 304 253
Employment and Workforce Development 109,645 99,941 10,581 14,474 120,226 114,415 10,038 9,957 130,264 124,372
Energy and Natural Resources 3,276 2,392 3,276 2,392 3,417 2,423 1 1 6,694 4,816
Environment and Climate ChangeLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 1,563 936 1,563 936 1,539 1,460 3,102 2,396
Finance 91,794 87,893 832 (negative 604) 92,626 87,289 1,333 834 53,153 47,007 147,112 135,130
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard 740 565 740 565 2,959 3,089 3,699 3,654
Global AffairsLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 6,232 5,225 6,232 5,225 3,220 3,044 9,452 8,269
Health 4,300 4,300 4,665 2,834 8,965 7,134 5,090 7,511 14,055 14,645
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities 2,368 2,368 10,717 10,389 13,085 12,757 957 850 46 47 14,088 13,654
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 3,568 2,981 3,568 2,981 3,758 3,821 7,326 6,802
Indigenous ServicesLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 24,858 19,590 24,858 19,590 1,879 4,234 26,737 23,824
Innovation, Science and IndustryLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 7,881 7,896 7,881 7,896 3,995 3,837 11,876 11,733
Justice 710 671 710 671 2,072 1,772 2,782 2,443
National Defence 1,592 1,131 1,592 1,131 34,371 31,868 63 64 36,026 33,063
National Revenue 28,573 26,338 24,707 18,042 53,280 44,380 16,091 15,534 69,371 59,914
Office of the Governor General's Secretary 29 26 29 26
ParliamentLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 2 2 2 2 952 930 954 932
Privy CouncilLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 1 1 1 1 413 413 414 414
Public SafetyLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.6 737 1,757 737 1,757 17,714 16,761 1 1 18,452 18,519
Public Services and Procurement 1 1 6,929 6,775 100 108 7,029 6,884
Transport 2,089 1,583 2,089 1,583 3,869 3,725 48 48 6,006 5,356
Treasury Board 1 1 1 1 11,747 4,955 11,748 4,956
Veterans Affairs 56 50 56 50 490 482 546 532
Provision for valuation and other items (negative 95) (negative 183) (negative 95) (negative 183) (negative 8,629) (negative 1,538) (negative 14) (negative 15) (negative 8,738) (negative 1,736)
Total expenses, excluding net actuarial losses 236,680 220,840 122,735 105,809 359,415 326,649 130,454 140,014 53,410 47,273 543,279 513,936
Net actuarial losses 4,020 7,489 4,020 7,489
Total expensesLinks to footnote 6 in Table 3.6 236,680 220,840 122,735 105,809 359,415 326,649 134,474 147,503 53,410 47,273 547,299 521,425

Table 3.6 notes

Table note *

The dash means that the amount is 0 or is rounded to 0.

Return to table note * referrer in Table 3.6

Table note 1

Includes transfer payments of $80,294 million ($76,036 million in 2024) for old age security benefits, the guaranteed income supplement and the spouse’s allowance; $105,101 million ($100,173  million in 2024) to other levels of government; $24,880 million ($23,130 million in 2024) for employment insurance and support measures, $28,574 million ($26,339 million in 2024) for children’s benefits; benefit overpayment to be recovered of $2,169 million ($4,838 million of expenses in 2024) for COVID-19 income support for workers; Additional information is provided in Table 3.7 of this section.

Return to table note 1 referrer in Table 3.6

Table note 2

In 2025, the Canada emergency wage subsidy has been reclassified from major transfer payments to other transfer payments. Additional information is provided in Note 2, Section 2 of this volume.

Return to table note 2 referrer in Table 3.6

Table note 3

Includes transfer payments of $15,595 million ($9,858 million in 2024) for the proceeds for the pollution pricing framework returned, many of the other COVID-19 support measures, such as benefit overpayments to be recovered of $167 million($420 million of expenses in 2024) for the Canada emergency wage subsidy, benefit overpayments to be recovered of $15 million for the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program ($2 million in expenses in 2024); and $173 million for the forgiveness incentives on Canada Emergency Business Account loan (a reversal of $2,574 million in 2024).

Return to table note 3 referrer in Table 3.6

Table note 4

As of March 14, 2025, the appropriate Minister for Parks Canada Agency and the Departement for Women and Gender Equality is the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Parks Canada and Women, Gender Equality and Youth are reported as a separate ministry from Canadian Heritage in all other sections of Public Accounts.

Return to table note 4 referrer in Table 3.6

Table note 5

Comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation.

Return to table note 5 referrer in Table 3.6

Table note 6

Additional information is provided in Table 2a in Section 1 of Volume II of the Public Accounts of Canada.

Return to table note 6 referrer in Table 3.6

Table note 7

Additional information is provided in Table 3.8 of this section.

Return to table note 7 referrer in Table 3.6

Expenses include provisions to reflect changes in the value of assets or liabilities, including provisions for bad debts, for loans, investments and advances, as well as for inventory obsolescence. Expenses also include amortization of tangible capital assets, utilization of inventories, as well as prepaid expenses and other.

Organizations within the government’s reporting entity transact with each other on a day-to-day basis and thus contribute to the revenues and expenses recorded in the accounts. In preparing the consolidated financial statements, these “internal transactions” are eliminated so as to report on the basis of transactions with outside parties only.

Table 3.6 presents a comparative summary of external expenses by type. The table also discloses the external expenses by segment.

Expenses by segment

The government’s segmented information is based on the ministerial portfolio structure. It groups the activities of departments, agencies and consolidated Crown corporations and other entities for which a minister is responsible, as described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in Section 2 of this volume.

Government's cost of operations

Government's cost of operations consists of three major types: transfer payments, other expenses, and public debt charges.

Transfer payments

The major transfer payments include payments to persons and payments to provinces and territories.

Payments to persons include payments for income support or income supplement. Assistance is based on age, family status, income, and employment criteria.

Payments to provinces and territories are made under the following major programs:

The other transfer payments include various subsidies paid through federal programs to stabilize market prices for commodities, to develop new technologies, to conduct research, to establish new jobs through support for training and to promote educational and cultural activities. Expenses of other consolidated entities and other miscellaneous payments are also included.

Other expenses

Other expenses include personnel, professional and special services, repair and maintenance, utilities, materials and supplies, as well as amortization of tangible capital assets. Provisions to reflect changes in the value of assets or liabilities, such as provisions for bad debts, loans, investments and advances and inventory obsolescence, as well as utilization of inventories, prepaid expenses, and other are also included in other expenses. Public sector pensions and other employee and veteran future benefits are included in personnel expenses.

Public debt charges reconciliation

Public debt charges include effective interest calculated on market debt including amounts arising on the extinguishment of debt, as well as interest on public sector pensions and other employee and veteran future benefits.

Table 3.7
Major transfer payments by province and territoryLinks to footnote * in Table 3.7
(in millions of dollars)

  Fiscal year Old age security benefitsLinks to footnote 1 in Table 3.7 Canada Health Transfer Canada Social Transfer Fiscal arrangements Quebec AbatementLinks to footnote 2 in Table 3.7 Employment insurance and support measuresLinks to footnote 3 in Table 3.7 Children's benefits Covid-19 income Support for workers Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Other major transfersLinks to footnote 4 in Table 3.7 TotalLinks to footnote 5 in Table 3.7
Newfoundland and Labrador 2025 1,569 688 224 228 1,228 318 4,255
2024 1,495 698 223 10 1,198 555 4,179
Prince Edward Island 2025 395 225 73 610 308 56 1,667
2024 375 219 70 562 297 56 1,579
Nova Scotia 2025 2,567 1,359 440 3,287 1,011 211 8,875
2024 2,443 1,362 436 2,805 972 213 8,231
New Brunswick 2025 2,212 1,075 349 2,899 1,091 178 7,804
2024 2,104 1,066 341 2,633 1,052 180 7,376
Quebec 2025 21,716 11,381 3,700 13,322 (negative 7,542) 4,762 1,420 48,759
2024 20,671 11,363 3,622 14,043 (negative 7,103) 4,500 1,433 48,529
Ontario 2025 30,790 20,363 6,611 586 8,836 2,431 69,617
2024 29,003 20,058 6,406 431 7,884 2,421 66,203
Manitoba 2025 2,653 1,885 612 4,355 851 268 10,624
2024 2,505 1,870 597 3,513 805 268 9,558
Saskatchewan 2025 2,262 1,564 508 2 710 232 5,278
2024 2,147 1,531 488 2 682 234 5,084
Alberta 2025 7,479 6,161 1,999 5 2,955 630 19,229
2024 6,963 5,979 1,908 581 2,728 762 18,921
British Columbia 2025 11,603 7,202 2,339 4 3,017 889 25,054
2024 10,935 7,118 2,273 4 2,902 867 24,099
Total provinces 2025 83,246 51,903 16,855 25,298 (negative 7,542) 24,769 6,633 201,162
2024 78,641 51,264 16,364 24,584 (negative 7,103) 23,020 6,989 193,759
Northwest Territories 2025 54 56 18 1,699 35 28 1,890
2024 50 57 18 1,611 35 28 1,799
Nunavut 2025 16 52 17 2,110 28 28 2,251
2024 15 52 17 1,971 29 28 2,112
Yukon Territory 2025 47 59 19 1,350 36 28 1,539
2024 45 58 18 1,252 35 28 1,436
International 2025 412 12 424
2024 308 11 319
Total expenses for provinces and territories 2025 83,775 52,070 16,909 30,457 (negative 7,542) 24,880 6,717 207,266
2024 79,059 51,431 16,417 29,418 (negative 7,103) 23,130 7,073 199,425
Accrual and other adjustments 2025 (negative 3,481) (negative 2,169) 6,639 (negative 149) 840
2024 (negative 3,023) (negative 2,000) (negative 577) (negative 4,838) 5,612 (negative 98) (negative 4,924)
Subtotal 2025 80,294 52,070 16,909 30,457 (negative 7,542) 24,880 (negative 2,169) 6,639 6,568 208,106
2024 76,036 49,431 16,417 28,841 (negative 7,103) 23,130 (negative 4,838) 5,612 6,975 194,501
Transfers made through the tax system 2025 28,574 28,574
2024 26,339 26,339
Total major transfer payments 2025 80,294 52,070 16,909 30,457 (negative 7,542) 24,880 28,574 (negative 2,169) 6,639 6,568 236,680
2024 76,036 49,431 16,417 28,841 (negative 7,103) 23,130 26,339 (negative 4,838) 5,612 6,975 220,840

Table 3.7 notes

Table note *

The dash means that the amount is 0 or is rounded to 0.

Return to table note * referrer in Table 3.7

Table note 1

Includes the guaranteed income supplement and the spouse's allowance.

Return to table note 1 referrer in Table 3.7

Table note 2

The Quebec Abatement is comprised of federal tax abated under the Alternative Payments for Standing Programs and the Youth Allowance Program of that province.

Return to table note 2 referrer in Table 3.7

Table note 3

Includes Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit overpayments to be recovered of $200 million ($385 million in 2024).

Return to table note 3 referrer in Table 3.7

Table note 4

Includes the contributions under the federal Canada Community-Building Fund program of $2,368 million ($2,368 million in 2024).

Return to table note 4 referrer in Table 3.7

Table note 5

In 2025, the Canada emergency wage subsidy has been reclassified from major transfer payments to other transfer payments. Additional information is provided in Note 2, Section 2 of this volume.

Return to table note 5 referrer in Table 3.7

Public debt charges

Public debt charges include the interest on unmatured debt and on pensions, other future benefits and other liabilities.

Table 3.8 discloses the reconciling items between the total public debt charges, as reported in the ministerial section of the Department of Finance in Section 8 of Volume II of the Public Accounts of Canada, and the total expenses of the public debt indicated in Table 3.6 of this volume. The reconciling items include the interest expenses on capital leases as well as accrual and other adjustments.

Table 3.8
Public debt chargesLinks to footnote 1 in Table 3.8
(in millions of dollars)

  2025 2024
Unmatured debt
Interest on marketable bonds 41,864 36,247
Net interest on cross-currency swaps 321 183
Interest on capital lease obligations 143 151
Interest on obligations under public-private partnerships 127 129
Total public debt charges related to unmatured debt 42,455 36,710
Pensions and other future benefits
Interest on:
Public sector pensions—Superannuation accounts 4,465 4,606
Allowance for pension adjustments (negative 2,297) (negative 2,082)
Consolidated Crown corporations and other entities pensions (negative 223) (negative 220)
Total interest on public sector pensions 1,945 2,304
Other employee and veteran future benefits
Public Service Health Care Plan and Pensioners' Dental Service Plan 984 925
Severance and other benefits 66 59
Accumulated sick leave entitlements 69 62
Worker's compensation 76 66
Veterans' disability and other future benefits 5,276 4,658
Royal Canadian Mounted Police disability and other future benefits 1,199 1,055
Consolidated Crown corporations and other entities 8 10
Total interest on other employee and veteran future benefits 7,678 6,835
Total public debt charges related to pensions and other future benefits 9,623 9,139
Other liabilities
Canada Pension Plan 21 23
Government Annuities Account 3 4
Deposit and trust accounts 52 60
Other specified purpose accounts 132 132
Other liabilities 1,124 1,205
Total public debt charges related to other liabilities 1,332 1,424
Consolidated specified purpose accounts
Interest 13 15
Total public debt charges related to consolidated specified purpose accounts 13 15
Total public debt charges before consolidation adjustments 53,423 47,288
Less: consolidation adjustments 13 15
Total public debt chargesLinks to footnote 1 in Table 3.8 Links to footnote 2 in Table 3.8 53,410 47,273
Comprised of:
Total public debt charges under statutory authorities before accrual and other adjustments and consolidation adjustments 47,995 42,475
Accrual and other adjustments 5,428 4,813
Consolidation adjustments (negative 13) (negative 15)
Total public debt charges 53,410 47,273

Table 3.8 notes

Table note 1

A summary is provided in Table  2a in Section 1 of Volume II of the Public Accounts of Canada.

Return to table note 1 referrer in Table 3.8

Table note 2

Additional details are provided in Section 7 of Volume III of the Public Accounts of Canada.

Return to table note 2 referrer in Table 3.8

Expenses by object

Table 3.9 reconciles the total net expenditures by object initially recorded by departments under the partial accrual method of accounting to the total expenses which is based on the full accrual method of accounting. Reconciliation items represent the effect of consolidation and full accrual accounting.

Table 3.9
Total expenses by objectLinks to footnote 1 in Table 3.9Links to footnote * in Table 3.9
(in millions of dollars)

  Total net expenditures Reconciliation Total expenses
Transfer payments 297,067 62,348 359,415
Other expenses
Personnel, excluding net actuarial losses 71,370 4,913 76,283
Transportation and communications 3,587 (negative 679) 2,908
Information 541 24 565
Professional and special services 23,145 (negative 3,547) 19,598
Rentals 4,947 (negative 791) 4,156
Repair and maintenance 4,392 (negative 108) 4,284
Utilities, materials and supplies 4,108 356 4,464
Acquisition of land, buildings and works 2,916 (negative 2,916)
Acquisition of machinery and equipment 9,038 (negative 9,038)
Other subsidies and payments 19,862 (negative 7,764) 12,098
Amortization of tangible capital assets 6,044 6,044
Net loss on disposal of assets 54 54
Total other expenses, excluding net actuarial losses 143,906 (negative 13,452) 130,454
Public debt charges 48,205 5,205 53,410
Total gross 489,178 54,101 543,279
Revenues netted against expenditures (negative 14,747) 14,747
Total expenses, excluding net actuarial losses 474,431 68,848 543,279
Net actuarial losses 4,020 4,020
Total expenses 474,431 72,868 547,299

Table 3.9 notes

Table note *

The dash means that the amount is 0 or is rounded to 0.

Return to table note * referrer in Table 3.9

Table note 1

Additional details are provided in Table 3a in Section 1 of Volume II of the Public Accounts of Canada.

Return to table note 1 referrer in Table 3.9

Expenditures under statutory authorities

Spending authorities provided by statutory authorities are for specified purposes and for such amounts and such time periods as the acts prescribe. These spending authorities do not generally lapse at the end of the year during which they were granted. Expenditures under such authorities account for approximately half of the total program expenses each year.

Table 3.10
Expenditures under statutory authoritiesLinks to footnote * in Table 3.10
(in millions of dollars)

  2025 2024
Old Age Security payments (Old Age Security Act) 60,648 57,445
Canada Health Transfer (Part V.1—Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act) 52,070 51,431
Public debt charges 47,995 42,474
Fiscal Equalization (Part I—Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act) 25,253 23,963
Guaranteed Income Supplement payments (Old Age Security Act) 18,910 18,031
Canada Social Transfer (Part V.1—Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act) 16,909 16,417
Climate action incentive payments 12,664 9,600
Territorial Financing (Part I.1—Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act) 5,159 4,834
Canada Student Grants to qualifying full and part-time students pursuant to the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act 2,584 2,674
Return portion of fuel charge proceeds to small and medium-sized businesses 2,569
Gas Tax Fund 2,400 2,400
Payments to the Canada Infrastructure Bank pursuant to the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1, Section 403 2,363 1,478
Contribution payments for the AgriInsurance program 1,280 1,212
Payments related to the direct financing arrangement under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act 1,267 1,464
Canada Education Savings Grant payments to Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) trustees on behalf of RESP beneficiaries to encourage Canadians to save for post-secondary education for their children 1,199 1,057
Payments to the Newfoundland offshore petroleum resource revenue fund pursuant to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, Part IV 985 637
Judges' salaries, allowances and annuities, annuities to spouses and children of judges and lump sum payments to spouses of judges who die while in office 788 738
Canada disability savings grants 646 498
Allowance payments (Old Age Security Act) 632 609
Spending of revenues obtained pursuant to section 5.2(2) of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act 502 453
Discharge of obligations and forgiveness of non-budgetary loans pursuant to section 23 of the Export Development Act 492 10,307
Payments to International Development Association 487 487
Children's Special Allowance payments pursuant to the Children's Special Allowances Act 430 390
Grant and contribution payments for the AgriStability Program 421 484
Fiscal Stabilization pursuant to Part II of the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act 577
Youth Allowances Recovery (Federal-Provincial Fiscal Revision Act, 1964) (negative 1,358) (negative 1,284)
Alternative Payments for Standing Programs (Part VI—Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act) (negative 6,183) (negative 5,820)
TotalLinks to footnote 2 in Table 3.10 251,112 242,556
Superannuation, supplementary retirement benefits, death benefits and other pensionsLinks to footnote 1 in Table 3.10
Public Service
Government's contribution to the Public Service Pension Plan and the Retirement Compensation Arrangements Account 3,603 3,452
Actuarial adjustment 6,425
Government's contribution to the Canada and the Quebec pension plans 1,457 1,509
Government's contribution to the Employment Insurance Operating Account 453 483
Government's contribution to the Supplementary Death Benefit Account 18 17
Total 11,956 5,461
Canadian Forces
Government's contribution to the Canadian Forces Pension Plan and the Retirement Compensation Arrangements Account 1,030 4,465
Government's contribution to the Canada and the Quebec pension plans 308 297
Government's contribution as employer to the Employment Insurance Operating Account 93 87
Statutory payments under the Supplementary Retirement Benefits Act 1 1
Government's contribution to the Death Benefit Account 3 3
Total 1,435 4,853
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Government's contribution to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Plan and the Retirement Compensation Arrangements Account 366 323
Government's contribution to the Canada and the Quebec pension plans 102 85
Government's contribution as employer to the Employment Insurance Operating Account 28 26
Statutory payments under the Supplementary Retirement Benefits Act 2 2
Total 498 436
Shared Services Canada
Government's contribution to the Canada and the Quebec pension plans 1 1
Government's contribution to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Plan and the Retirement Compensation Arrangements Account 3 3
Total 4 4
All other statutory expendituresLinks to footnote 2 in Table 3.10 4,815 5,131
Total ministerial expenditures under statutory authoritiesLinks to footnote 3 in Table 3.10 269,820 258,441

Table 3.10 notes

Table note *

The dash means that the amount is 0 or is rounded to 0.

Return to table note * referrer in Table 3.10

Table note 1

Details related to other pension accounts, such as the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Account, are not included.

Return to table note 1 referrer in Table 3.10

Table note 2

Comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation.

Return to table note 2 referrer in Table 3.10

Table note 3

Additional information on the ministerial expenditures under statutory authorities are provided in Table 7 in Section 1 of Volume II of the Public Accounts of Canada.

Return to table note 3 referrer in Table 3.10

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