January 28, 2021 — Use the National Health Expenditure Database (NHEX) to discover how much is spent on health care annually, in what areas money is spent and on whom, and where the money comes from. This year’s release presents finalized 2018 actual health expenditures, updated 2019 preliminary estimates using current-year information, and a summary of 2020 COVID-19 government-spending measures announced as of early October. National Health Expenditure Trends forecasts are based on Main Estimates and budgets, which were not available from all provinces and territories; therefore, 2020 health spending projections are not included in this release.
Learn more about comparative expenditure data at the provincial and territorial levels, as well as Canadian health spending trends from 1975 to 2019.
Key findings
- Canada’s total health spending is expected to reach $265.5 billion in 2019, or $7,064 per Canadian.
- It is anticipated that health expenditure in 2019 will represent 11.5% of Canada’s gross domestic product in 2019.
- As of early October 2020, COVID-19–related health funding announced by federal, provincial and territorial levels of government amounted to more than $29 billion.
Report and companion materials
Report
Narrative report with provincial/territorial and national health expenditure trends
Methodology notes
NHEX definitions, data sources, limitations and revisions to help you understand the data and interpret the analysis in the report
Technical note
Public health and community mental health and addictions services spending: Information on how public health and community mental health and addictions services spending by governments and government agencies is captured
Health spending data tables
Full data tables
Macro-level health expenditure data tables, by province and territory and by year
Individual data tables
Appendices A to D
GDP, price index and population (XLSX)
Series A
Series B
Expenditure by source of finance (XLSX)
Series C
Series D: Expenditure by use of funds in province/territory
D2: Private-sector expenditures (XLSX)
D3: Public-sector expenditures (XLSX)
D4: Provincial/territorial government expenditures (XLSX)
Series E: Provincial/territorial government expenditure by age and sex
Series F
Provincial/territorial government health expenditures (XLSX)
Series G
Series H
Private-sector health expenditures, Canada (XLSX)
Open data on health spending
Modifiable data set that can be freely used