Canada: Adjusted savings, education expenditure (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Canada's adjusted savings, education expenditure (current US$) rose 21.3% on 2020 (from US$72.88 billion to US$88.42 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +3.1% and a typical year strayed about 9.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 28.1% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 23.7% in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2021, Canada had the 10th highest value of the 179 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Canada in the 2021 ranking

• Japan — 6th of 179: US$135.88 billion
• India — 7th of 179: US$96.31 billion
• Brazil — 8th of 179: US$93.09 billion
• Italy — 10th of 179: US$82.64 billion
• Russian Federation — 11th of 179: US$76.94 billion
• Australia — 12th of 179: US$76.93 billion

What this measures

Education expenditure refers to the current operating expenditures in education, including wages and salaries and excluding capital investments in buildings and equipment. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

All 52 values

Adjusted savings, education expenditure (current US$) in nearby economies

• Bermuda — US$108.52 million (2021)
• United States — US$1.05 trillion (2021)

More economic policy & debt data for Canada

• Trade in services (% of GDP) — 14.75% (2025)
• Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 48.08% (2025)
• Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — US$196.83 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) — US$747.73 billion (2025)
• Goods imports (current US$, BoP) — US$577.62 billion (2025)
• Service imports (current US$, BoP) — US$170.11 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP) — US$944.56 billion (2025)
• Transport services (% of service imports, BoP) — 16.84% (2025)
• Travel services (% of service imports, BoP) — 25.55% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Canada's adjusted savings, education expenditure (current US$)?

US$88.42 billion in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 1,289% from US$6.37 billion in 1970 (5.29% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$88.42 billion in 2021 and the lowest US$6.37 billion in 1970.

How does Canada rank?

10th highest of 179 economies with data for 2021.

Is the latest change in adjusted savings, education expenditure (current US$) unusual for Canada?

In 2021, Canada's adjusted savings, education expenditure (current US$) rose 21.3% on 2020 (from US$72.88 billion to US$88.42 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +3.1% and a typical year strayed about 9.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.ADJ.AEDU.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); Statistical Yearbook, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division; Online database, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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