Federal government expenditures on COVID-19 response measures - fourth quarter 2021

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the consequences of the pandemic on the Canadian economy, the federal government of Canada announced and implemented various support and recovery measures for businesses, households, students, the vulnerable population and organizations helping individuals. The table Federal government expenditures on COVID-19 response measures presents the major federal measures announced and implemented, their treatment in the national accounts (in particular, in the Income and Expenditure Accounts), the table numbers where the pertinent series may be found and the amount of expenditure on a quarterly basis.

For a comprehensive explanations on the treatment of COVID-19 government support measures in the national accounts, please refer to the documents Recording COVID-19 measures in the national account and Recording new COVID measures in the national accounts.

Treatment in national accounts: Subsidies on production, by quarter at quarterly rates
COVID-19 measure 2020 2021
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter
$ millions
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) - business 4,356 29,384 22,729 11,644 11,104 10,947 4,606 300
Temporary Wage Subsidy (TWS) - business 169 738            
Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) - business     54 1,746 1,906 1,800 845 58
Lockdown Support (LS) - business     5 240 383 374 78 11
Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) - business           51 347 150
Source: Statistics Canada, tables 36-10-0103, 36-10-0118, 36-10-0477.
Treatment in national accounts: Current transfers to non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH), by quarter at quarterly rates
COVID-19 measure 2020 2021
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter
$ millions
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) - NPISH 200 1,095 1,050 618 623 657 299 15
Temporary Wage Subsidy (TWS) - NPISH 13 46            
Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) - NPISH     1 42 43 42 22 2
Lockdown Support (LS) - NPISH     0 5 7 7 2 0
Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) - NPISH           1 9 4
Source: Statistics Canada, tables 36-10-0118, 36-10-0477, 36-10-0115.
Treatment in national accounts: Subsidies on products and imports, by quarter at quarterly rates
COVID-19 measure 2020 2021
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter
$ millions
Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA)   1,130 904          
  • Federal contribution
  849 679          
  • Provincial contribution
  281 225          
Source: Statistics Canada, tables 36-10-0103, 36-10-0118, 36-10-0477.
Treatment in national accounts: Current transfers to households - Employment Insurance benefits, by quarter at quarterly rates
COVID-19 measure 2020 2021
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter
$ millions
Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) - EI stream   19,127 9,239 864        
Source: Statistics Canada, tables 36-10-0118, 36-10-0477, 36-10-0112.
Treatment in national accounts: Transfers to households -Other federal transfers to households, by quarter at quarterly rates
COVID-19 measure 2020 2021
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter
$ millions
Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) - CRA stream   29,002 15,597 704        
Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB)   1,386 1,550 8 2      
Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)       6,073 8,344 6,516 5,091 2,362
Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)       900 1,057 933 619 314
Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)       246 163 188 119 171
Source: Statistics Canada, tables 36-10-0118, 36-10-0477, 36-10-0112.
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