The size and cost of the federal public service continued to rise last year, with new figures showing spending on the bureaucracy increased by $6 billion — or nine per cent — over the previous fiscal year. The data, released in the federal public accounts tabled recently in the House of Commons, also shows Ottawa has added 99,000 public servants since 2015-16.

Total spending on the federal workforce reached $71.4 billion in 2024-25, up from $39.6 billion in 2015-16 — an 80 per cent increase over a decade. The figures cover wages and benefits across federal departments and agencies.

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The documents also highlight rising costs for consultants, contractors and outsourced work. Ottawa spent $23.1 billion on “professional and special services” last year, up 11 per cent from

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