
Spending by all levels of government in Canada declined in 2021 after reaching an all-time high of over $1 trillion in 2020 because of COVID-19 pandemic response spending. Spending decreased by 7.8%, or $81.9 billion, in 2021, with total spending at $969.5 billion. Government spending in 2021, although a decline from the previous year, remained higher than pre-pandemic spending levels, with $969.5 billion in 2021 well above $799.7 billion in 2019.
Social protection and economic affairs were the largest contributors to spending decreases in 2021. Governments in Canada spent $9,616 per person in 2021 in these two categories, compared with $12,727 in 2020. Health spending, which rose 14.2% in 2020, increased by another 6.5% in 2021.
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