[Canada] Federal bureaucracy grew twice as fast as population in past decade

In Canada, a new analysis has revealed that taxpayers would have saved about $7 billion if federal bureaucracy had grown in line with population over the last decade.

The analysis was conducted by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), based on recently published government data.

Franco Terrazzano - CTF Federal Director - said, “Taxpayers are still paying too much for too many paper pushers in Ottawa. Prime Minister Mark Carney needs to make the bureaucracy more affordable to provide meaningful tax relief and stop borrowing money.”

According to government data, between March 2025 and March 2026, the federal government reduced its payroll by 12,683 employees (3.5 per cent).

Despite this, the federal government still reportedly has 86,303 more employees than in 2016, a 33 per cent increase. Canada’s population grew by 15 per cent over the same period.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer shows that the average compensation for a full-time federal bureaucrat is $161,900. The CTA found that taxpayers would have saved about $7 billion in 2026 if the federal bureaucracy had grown in line with population over the last decade.

It stated that seven federal departments and agencies have more than doubled their employee count since 2016.

They were as follows:

• Infrastructure Canada (376 per cent)

• Women and Gender Equality Canada (301 per cent)

• RCMP External Review Committee (214 per cent)

• Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (174 per cent)

• Elections Canada (154 per cent)

• Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (150 per cent)

• Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (116 per cent)

Employment and Social Development Canada has reportedly added the most employees, gaining 13,228 employees since 2016, a 59 per cent increase.

The Canada Revenue Agency added the second-greatest number of employees over the decade. It gained 9,290 employees in the same period, a 24 per cent increase.

PBO projections show that the federal government is set to spend $79.4 billion on the bureaucracy this year, up from $69.2 billion last year. The cost of the federal bureaucracy increased 80 per cent between 2015 and 2024, according to Public Accounts.

“The number of federal employees is shrinking a little bit, but Carney still has lots of work to do to shrink Ottawa’s bloated bureaucracy,” Mr Terrazzano said.

According to a Leger poll, half of Canadians believe federal services have got worse since 2016, despite the massive growth in bureaucracy. The majority of Canadians reportedly support cutting the size and cost of the bureaucracy, the poll found.

Source: Canadian Taxpayers Federation

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

In Canada, a new analysis has revealed that taxpayers would have saved about $7 billion if federal bureaucracy had grown in line with population over the last decade.

The analysis was conducted by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), based on recently published government data.

Franco Terrazzano - CTF Federal Director - said, “Taxpayers are still paying too much for too many paper pushers in Ottawa. Prime Minister Mark Carney needs to make the bureaucracy more affordable to provide meaningful tax relief and stop borrowing money.”

According to government data, between March 2025 and March 2026, the federal government reduced its payroll by 12,683 employees (3.5 per cent).

Despite this, the federal government still reportedly has 86,303 more employees than in 2016, a 33 per cent increase. Canada’s population grew by 15 per cent over the same period.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer shows that the average compensation for a full-time federal bureaucrat is $161,900. The CTA found that taxpayers would have saved about $7 billion in 2026 if the federal bureaucracy had grown in line with population over the last decade.

It stated that seven federal departments and agencies have more than doubled their employee count since 2016.

They were as follows:

• Infrastructure Canada (376 per cent)

• Women and Gender Equality Canada (301 per cent)

• RCMP External Review Committee (214 per cent)

• Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (174 per cent)

• Elections Canada (154 per cent)

• Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (150 per cent)

• Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (116 per cent)

Employment and Social Development Canada has reportedly added the most employees, gaining 13,228 employees since 2016, a 59 per cent increase.

The Canada Revenue Agency added the second-greatest number of employees over the decade. It gained 9,290 employees in the same period, a 24 per cent increase.

PBO projections show that the federal government is set to spend $79.4 billion on the bureaucracy this year, up from $69.2 billion last year. The cost of the federal bureaucracy increased 80 per cent between 2015 and 2024, according to Public Accounts.

“The number of federal employees is shrinking a little bit, but Carney still has lots of work to do to shrink Ottawa’s bloated bureaucracy,” Mr Terrazzano said.

According to a Leger poll, half of Canadians believe federal services have got worse since 2016, despite the massive growth in bureaucracy. The majority of Canadians reportedly support cutting the size and cost of the bureaucracy, the poll found.

Source: Canadian Taxpayers Federation

(Links and quotes via original reporting)