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November 27, 2020FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT, 2019 Statistics Canada has published details from Consolidated Government Finance Statistics for 2019 including consolidated results for provincial-territorial and local governments by nine functional areas of expenditure: health care, education, social protection, general public service (which includes debt payments), economic affairs (which includes transportation), public order/safety, environmental protection, housing/community amenities and recreation/culture. Details on defence spending are provided only at the Federal level. Annual data correspond to the end of the fiscal year closest to December 31. For example, data for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2020 (fiscal year 2019-20) are reported as the 2019 reference year.
These data are based on the international government financial statistical standard and, as such, may differ in their presentation from similar concepts reported in Public Accounts and other financial statements. Statistics Canada's data allows for comparability across jurisdictions.
Total per capita expenditures by provincial-local government function add up to $14,520 in Nova Scotia, $153 per capita below the provincial-local government average in 2019. The largest categories of expenditure were: health, education, general public services (including debt service costs), social protection and economic affairs (including transportation). Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan reported the highest per capita expenditures while the lowest were observed in British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario.
Health care makes up the largest per capita expenditure function in every provincial-local government. Nova Scotia's health expenditures of $5,619 per capita are above the national average of $4,793 per capita. Hospitals and outpatient services make up the bulk of health care spending. Nova Scotia's per capita expenditures are higher than average for hospitals ($4,150) and public health ($443 per capita) but lower for outpatient services ($605 per capita). The highest health expenditures were reported in Newfoundland and Labrador while the lowest were reported in Ontario.
Note: n.e.c. refers to expenditures "not elsewhere classified".
Education is the second largest functional expenditure made by provincial-local governments. Nova Scotia's education spending of $2,648 per capita is lower than the national average among provincial-local governments ($2,740). Nova Scotia's lower spending on education is attributable to primary/secondary education ($1,444 per capita) and colleges ($223 per capita) while spending on universities ($960 per capita) were the highest in the country. Per capita education spending was highest in Saskatchewan and lowest in British Columbia.
Expenditures on social protection amounted to $1,346 per capita in Nova Scotia - lower than the national average of $1,996 per capita. Expenditures on social protection exhibit a wide variation across Canada, with almost $1,300 per capita difference from the lowest spending provincial-local government (Prince Edward Island) to the highest (Saskatchewan). Some of this variation is explained by markedly different service levels across provinces; Saskatchewan's higher payments for sickness and disability is attributable to benefits provided under that province's public auto insurance program.
Sickness/disability payments make up the largest portion of social protection expenditures in most jurisdictions, followed in some by children/family services and in others by expenditures to address social exclusion (including funding for low-income earners, refugees and homeless persons). Nova Scotia's expenditures on sickness/disabililty ($521 per capita), family/children ($235 per capita) and housing ($162 per capita) were all below the national averages. Nova Scotia's per capita expenditures on social exclusion were $424 per capita - above the national average of $392.
General public service expenditures were $2,199 per capita in Nova Scotia, including $946 per capita in public debt transactions, $624 per capita in general provincial-local government services and $308 per capita in executive/legislative/financial/fiscal affairs. Nova Scotia's general public service expenditures are above the national per capita average because of general public service spending as well as executive/legislative/financial/fiscal affairs. The highest expenditures on general public services were in Newfoundland and Labrador (where general service spending was higher) as well as Quebec (where public debt expenditures are higher). The lowest general public service expenditures were in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.
The economic affairs functional category includes expenditures in a wide range of activities. Transportation is the largest provincial-local exepnditure on economic affairs across Canada, but it is not the largest expenditure in four provinces: Alberta (fuel and energy), Saskatchewan (agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting) and Nova Scotia (about the same as general economic/commercial/labour affairs).
Overall per capita spending on economic affairs in Nova Scotia was $1,179 - below the national average of $1,554. The highest expenditures on economic affairs were in Alberta, with its uniquely large expenditure on the economic affairs of fuel and energy. The lowest spending on economic affairs was reported in Manitoba.
Expenditures on public order and safety were $760 per capita in Canada and $748 per capita in Nova Scotia. Police services made up the bulk of these expenditures, followed by law courts and fire protection services. The highest expenditures on public order and safety were reported in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (where prison spending was notably higher). The lowest expenditures on public safety were in Prince Edward Island and Quebec. Nova Scotia's expenditures on public safety were above the national average for police services and law courts and below average for fire protection and prisons.
Spending on recreation and cultural services was $379 per capita across Canada and $295 per capita in Nova Scotia. Recreation and culture spending was higher in British Columbia, which has a larger expenditure on broadcasting/publishing services. Prince Edward Island had the lowest spending on recreation and cultural services.
National consolidated provincial-local spending on environmental protection was $314 per capita in 2019. Nova Scotia's expenditures on environmental protection were $266 per capita. Waste management and waste water management typically make up the largest portions of national expenditures on environmental protection. Other environemntal protection expenditures (n.e.c.) are higher in Manitoba; these other expenditures includes administration, enforcement and data dissemination.
Spending on housing and community amenities amounted to $228 per capita nationally and $222 per capita in Nova Scotia. Provision of water supply makes up the bulk of housing/community amenity spending in all provinces. Nova Scotia made the highest expenditures on street lighting among provinces ($39 per capita).
From 2018 to 2019, consolidated provincial-local government spending across all categories increased by 2.5% in Nova Scotia, faster than the national growth of 2.0%. Expenditure growth was fastest in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec. Growth was notably slower in Ontario, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
Statistics Canada. Table 10-10-0005-01 Canadian Classification of Functions of Government (CCOFOG) by consolidated government component (x 1,000,000), Table 17-10-0005-01 Population estimates on July 1st, by age and sex
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