Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) in Canada
Canada: Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) was 15.4% in 2008. ▲ Rising
Claims on central government, etc. in Canada, 1960–2008
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % GDP.
Analysis
Canada recorded 15.4% for claims on central government, etc. in 2008.
The figure is up 40.0% on the previous year and up 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, claims on central government, etc. in Canada peaked at 18.2% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 1965.
That places Canada 67th out of 187 countries with data for 2008, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) in Canada, year by year
| Year | % GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8.2% | — |
| 1961 | 8.5% | +3.8% |
| 1962 | 8.1% | -4.8% |
| 1963 | 7.3% | -10.1% |
| 1964 | 6.8% | -6.4% |
| 1965 | 6.7% | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 7.2% | +6.8% |
| 1967 | 12.1% | +67.5% |
| 1968 | 12.2% | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 10.1% | -17.0% |
| 1970 | 11.1% | +9.3% |
| 1971 | 10.5% | -4.8% |
| 1972 | 9.8% | -7.1% |
| 1973 | 9.0% | -7.8% |
| 1974 | 7.2% | -20.6% |
| 1975 | 7.1% | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 7.1% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 7.6% | +8.1% |
| 1978 | 7.5% | -1.3% |
| 1979 | 9.1% | +20.5% |
| 1980 | 8.5% | -6.3% |
| 1981 | 6.8% | -20.0% |
| 1982 | 7.0% | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 8.7% | +24.4% |
| 1984 | 9.0% | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 8.2% | -8.0% |
| 1986 | 9.6% | +16.1% |
| 1987 | 8.7% | -8.7% |
| 1988 | 9.0% | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 8.8% | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 9.1% | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 11.8% | +29.2% |
| 1992 | 13.7% | +16.5% |
| 1993 | 16.1% | +17.5% |
| 1994 | 16.8% | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 16.6% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 16.1% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 14.1% | -12.5% |
| 1998 | 13.9% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 12.9% | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 13.1% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 18.2% | +39.2% |
| 2002 | 17.7% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 17.3% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 17.0% | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 16.9% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +7.0% |
| 2007 | 11.0% | -39.0% |
| 2008 | 15.4% | +40.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 15.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.8%, 1.3× the median. (61 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +67.5% | 7.2% | 12.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.7% | 6.7% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.6% | 7.1% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.4% | 6.8% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.1% | 9.1% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.1% | 11.0% | 18.2% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More financial sector data for Canada
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0017 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 93.62 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 68.36 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0017 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 93.62 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is claims on central government, etc. in Canada?
- Claims on central government, etc. in Canada was 15.4% in 2008, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest claims on central government, etc. recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 2001.
- What is the lowest claims on central government, etc. recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 1965.
- How does Canada rank for claims on central government, etc.?
- Canada ranks 67th out of 187 countries with data for 2008.
- Is claims on central government, etc. rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Claims on central government include loans to central government institutions net of deposits. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.