Spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the department's planned spending and human resources for the next three consecutive fiscal years and compares planned spending for the upcoming year with the current and previous years' actual spending.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2018–19 to 2023–24

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory) spending over time.

Departmental spending graph 2021-2022
Description - Departmental spending graph
Departmental spending graph
  Total Voted Statutory Cost Recovery (Netted Revenue)
2018–19 507,744 438,134 69,610 124,201
2019–20 546,950 473,759 73,190 120,038
2020–21 631,926 552,084 79,842 113,157
2021–22 802,331 721,223 81,107 120,000
2022–23 512,533 440,480 72,053 120,000
2023–24 462,495 396,555 65,940 120,000
Note: Main Estimates, planned spending and full-time equivalent figures do not include Budget 2021 announcements. More information will be provided in the 2021–22 Supplementary Estimates and Departmental Results Report, as applicable.
Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)
Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)
The following table shows actual, forecast and planned spending for each of Statistics Canada's core responsibilities and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.
Core responsibilities and Internal Services 2018–19
expenditures
2019–20
expenditures
2020–21
forecast spending
2021–22 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2021–22
planned spending
2022–23
planned spending
2023–24
planned spending
Statistical Information 559,559,344 584,770,894 665,615,857 855,425,655 855,425,655 566,602,643 516,517,426
Internal Services 72,385,465 82,217,225 79,467,863 66,905,037 66,905,037 65,930,587 65,977,108
Total gross expenditures 631,944,809 666,988,119 745,083,720 922,330,692 922,330,692 632,533,230 582,494,534
Respendable revenue -124,200,719 -120,038,495 -113,157,338 -120,000,000 -120,000,000 -120,000,000 -120,000,000
Total net expenditures 507,744,090 546,949,624 631,926,382 802,330,692 802,330,692 512,533,230 462,494,534
Note: Main Estimates, planned spending and full-time equivalent figures do not include Budget 2021 announcements. More information will be provided in the 2021–22 Supplementary Estimates and Departmental Results Report, as applicable.

Statistics Canada is funded by two sources: direct parliamentary appropriations and cost-recovery activities. Statistics Canada has the authority to generate $120 million annually in respendable revenue, related to two streams: statistical surveys and related services, and custom requests and workshops. If exceeded, a request can be made to increase the authority, as was the case in 2018–19 and 2019–20.

In recent years, respendable cost-recovery revenue has contributed between $113 million and $124 million annually to the agency's total resources. A large portion of this respendable revenue comes from federal departments to fund specific statistical projects.

Spending fluctuations between the years shown in the graph and table above were mainly caused by the Census Program. Voted spending decreased in 2018–19 as the 2016 Census of Population and 2016 Census of Agriculture were winding down. This pattern is typical for the agency because of the cyclical nature of the Census Program. Spending will begin to ramp up and peak again in 2021–22 when the 2021 Census of Population and 2021 Census of Agriculture are conducted followed by a significant decrease in subsequent years as these activities wind down.

Internal Services spending from 2018–19 to 2020–21 includes planned resources from temporary funding related to a new initiative approved in 2018–19 to migrate the agency's infrastructure to the cloud.

For additional details on year-over-year variances between 2018–19 and 2019–20 expenditures, see the 2019–20 Departmental Results Report.

2021–22 budgetary planned gross spending summary (dollars)
The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net planned spending for 2021–22.
Core responsibilities and Internal Services 2021–22
planned gross spending
2021–22
planned gross spending for specified purpose accounts
2021–22
planned revenues netted against expenditures
2021–22
planned net spending
Statistical Information 855,425,655 0 -120,000,000 735,425,655
Internal Services 66,905,037 0 0 66,905,037
Total 922,330,692 0 -120,000,000 802,330,692
Note: Main Estimates, planned spending and full-time equivalent figures do not include Budget 2021 announcements. More information will be provided in the 2021–22 Supplementary Estimates and Departmental Results Report, as applicable.

Statistics Canada has the authority to generate $120 million annually in respendable revenue, which is reflected in the 2021–22 planned revenues netted against expenditures.

Planned human resources

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned full-time equivalents (FTEs) for each core responsibility in Statistics Canada's Departmental Results Framework and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services
Core responsibilities and Internal Services 2018–19
actual FTEs
2019–20
actual FTEs
2020–21
forecast FTEs
2021–22
planned FTEs
2022–23
planned FTEs
2023–24
planned FTEs
Statistical Information 5,498 5,595 5,863 6,026 5,065 4,644
Internal Services 645 626 615 563 546 546
Total gross FTEs 6,143 6,221 6,478 6,589 5,611 5,190
Respendable revenue -1,380 -1,366 -1,265 -1,231 -1,241 -1,289
Total net FTEs 4,763 4,856 5,212 5,358 4,370 3,901
Note: Main Estimates, planned spending and full-time equivalent figures do not include Budget 2021 announcements. More information will be provided in the 2021–22 Supplementary Estimates and Departmental Results Report, as applicable.

Similar to trends seen in planned spending, FTE changes from year to year are largely explained by the cyclical nature of the Census Program. Activity decreased in 2018–19 as the 2016 Census of Population and 2016 Census of Agriculture were winding down. Activity will begin to ramp up and peak again in 2021–22 when the 2021 Census of Population and 2021 Census of Agriculture are conducted.

Included in net expenditure FTEs are approximately 210 public servant FTEs based across Canada outside the National Capital Region (NCR). Also included are approximately 950 interviewer FTEs (representing approximately 1,800 interviewers) outside the NCR. These interviewers are part-time workers with assigned workweeks that are determined by the volume of collection work available; they are hired under the Statistics Act, by the authority of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Interviewers are covered by two separate collective agreements and are employed through

Statistical Survey Operations. Many of Statistics Canada's main outputs rely heavily on data collection and the administration of these activities, which takes place in the regions.

Estimates by vote

Information on Statistics Canada's organizational appropriations is available in the 2021–22 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented Condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of Statistics Canada's operations for 2020–21 to 2021–22.

The amounts for forecast and planned results in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The amounts for forecast and planned spending presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on Statistics Canada's website.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2022 (dollars)
Financial information 2020–21 forecast results 2021–22 planned results Difference
(2021–22 planned results minus 2020–21 forecast results)
Total expenses 867,639,406 1,048,174,102 180,534,696
Total revenues 113,157,338 120,000,000 6,842,662
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 754,482,068 928,174,102 173,692,034

The increase in planned expenses for 2021–22 is mainly explained by the approved funding to be received for the 2021 Census of Population and Census of Agriculture.

Statistics Canada expects to maintain its capacity in future years to deliver cost-recovered statistical services, with no significant shifts in resources.