Federal transfers to provinces and territories

The Government of Canada provides significant financial support to provincial and territorial governments on an ongoing basis to assist them in the provision of programs and services. There are four main transfer programs: the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing.

The Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer are federal transfers to provinces and territories which support specific policy areas such as health care, post-secondary education, social assistance and social services, early childhood development, and child care.

The Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing programs provide unconditional transfers to the provinces and territories. Equalization enables less prosperous provincial governments to provide their residents with public services that are reasonably comparable to those in other provinces, at reasonably comparable levels of taxation. Territorial Formula Financing provides territorial governments with funding to support public services, in recognition of the higher cost of providing programs and services in the north.

(Updated December 2023)

• Canada
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

• Canada Health Transfer (February 2022)
• Canada Social Transfer (March 2022)
• History of the Health and Social Transfers (February 2022)

• Equalization Program (December 2023)
• Territorial Formula Financing (October 2021)
  Territorial Borrowing Limits (October 2021)

• Nova Scotia Offshore Arrangements
• Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Arrangements
• Quebec Abatement
• Fiscal Stabilization Program

• Major Federal Transfers – Monthly payments made to provinces and territories
• Fiscal Stabilization – Payments made to provinces
• Other transfers – Payments made to provinces and territories

• Associated Equalization (December 2012)
• Budget 2007 Companion Paper - Restoring Fiscal Balance for a Stronger Federation
• Budget 2006 Companion Paper - Restoring Fiscal Balance in Canada
• Federal Initiatives in Support of Post-Secondary Education, Public Transit and Affordable Housing (C-48) (May 2011)
• Federal Investments in Health Care (September 2012)
• Federal Support for Child Care (November 2012)
• Federal Support for Diagnostic and Medical Equipment
• Federal Trust Funds