What the calculation does

Take a chosen debt measure and divide it by the population covered by that government. The result is an average allocation for comparison purposes.

The number changes depending on whether the numerator is federal accumulated debt, gross debt, provincial net debt or consolidated general-government debt.

Why “your share” is rhetorical

Government debt is serviced through future public revenues and refinancing, not by assigning an equal invoice to every resident. Children, non-taxpayers, corporations and households with very different incomes are all included in population averages.

The government also has assets and revenue-raising authority. A per-capita figure strips away those features, so it should be presented as a ratio rather than a literal personal obligation.

Better companion measures

  • Debt-to-GDP for economic scale.
  • Public debt charges as a share of revenue for budget pressure.
  • Average effective interest rate for financing cost.
  • Maturity profile for refinancing exposure.
  • Net debt or accumulated deficit when assets matter.

Primary sources

Use the official publications below for the latest figures and accounting details.

Editorial note: This page explains public accounting concepts and is not a recommendation for or against any political party, tax, program or borrowing decision.