Planned spending and human resources
This section provides an overview of the DND/CAF planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2024–25 with actual spending from previous years.
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Spending
Figure 1: Departmental Planned Spending for 2024-25 by Core Responsibility (dollars)
This pie chart illustrates the Department of National Defence's spending for Fiscal Year 2024-25, broken down by Core Responsibility. The percentages allocated to each section, from largest to smallest, are:
- 37%, $11,304,585,891 for Ready Forces;
- 20%, $6,245,203,819 for Procurement of Capabilities;
- 15%, $4,490,063,164 for Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure;
- 14%, $4,212,785,688 for Defence Team;
- 7%, $2,280,404,320 for Operations;
- 4%, $1,186,033,463 for Internal Services; and
- 3%, $865,727,609 for Future Force Design.
The following table shows information on spending for each of the DND/CAF core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services |
2021-22 Actual Expenditures |
2022-23 Actual Expenditures |
2023-24 Forecast Spending |
|---|---|---|---|
Operations |
$915,502,440 | $2,019,743,879 | $2,386,006,218 |
Ready Forces |
$9,984,959,562 | $10,796,359,609 | $11,292,378,427 |
Defence Team |
$3,648,870,768 | $3,914,692,450 | $4,041,000,917 |
Future Force Design |
$749,733,042 | $835,360,142 | $872,034,999 |
Procurement of Capabilities |
$3,747,686,232 | $3,860,260,423 | $5,615,993,975 |
Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure |
$3,945,280,646 | $4,097,255,100 | $4,562,904,788 |
Subtotal |
$22,992,032,690 | $25,523,671,603 | $28,770,319,324 |
Internal Services |
$1,134,112,271 | $1,406,488,492 | $1,150,779,528 |
Total |
$24,126,144,691 | $26,930,160,095 | $29,921,098,852 |
The following table shows information on spending for each of the DND/CAF core responsibilities and for its internal services for the upcoming three fiscal years.
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services |
2024-25 Budgetary Spending (main estimates) |
2024-25 Planned Spending |
2025-26 Planned Spending |
2026-27 Planned Spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Operations |
$2,280,404,320 | $2,280,404,320 | $2,043,184,587 | $1,233,724,151 |
Ready Forces |
$11,304,585,891 | $11,304,585,891 | $11,148,704,722 | $11,306,239,869 |
Defence Team |
$4,212,785,688 | $4,212,785,688 | $4,181,634,752 | $4,268,622,576 |
Future Force Design |
$865,727,609 | $865,727,609 | $852,414,679 | $810,066,581 |
Procurement of Capabilities |
$6,245,203,819 | $6,245,203,819 | $13,752,776,234 | $9,503,051,924 |
Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure |
$4,490,063,164 | $4,490,063,164 | $4,423,383,640 | $4,575,073,201 |
Subtotal |
$29,398,770,491 | $29,398,770,491 | $36,402,098,614 | $31,696,778,302 |
Internal Services |
$1,186,033,463 | $1,186,033,463 | $1,133,469,322 | $1,141,044,581 |
Total |
$30,584,803,954 | $30,584,803,954 | $37,535,567,936 | $32,837,822,883 |
Funding
The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.
Figure 2: Departmental spending 2021-22 to 2026-27
This bar graph depicts the Department of National Defence's financial spending trend starting with fiscal year 2021-22. On the Y-axis are dollars ranging from 0 to 40,000,000,000. On the X-axis is Fiscal Year 2021-22 through 2026-27.
Statutory Financial Spending Trend is:
- $1,628,064,634 in 2021-22;
- $1,732,085,528 in 2022-23;
- $1,995,885,424 in 2023-24;
- $1,791,840,873 in 2024-25;
- $1,420,507,180 in 2025-26; and
- $1,412,954,165 in 2026-27.
Voted Financial Spending Trend is:
- $22,498,080,327 in 2021-22;
- $25,198,074,567 in 2022-23;
- $27,925,213,428 in 2023-24;
- $28,792,963,081 in 2024-25;
- $36,115,060,756 in 2025-26; and
- $31,424,868,718 in 2026-27.
Total Financial Spending Trend is:
- $24,126,144,961 in 2021-22;
- $26,930,160,095 in 2022-23;
- $29,921,098,852 in 2023-24;
- $30,584,803,954 in 2024-25;
- $37,535,567,936 in 2025-26; and
- $32,837,822,883 in 2026-27.
Estimates by Vote
Information on the DND/CAF organizational appropriations is available in the 2024–25 Main Estimates.
Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the DND/CAF operations for 2023–24 to 2024–25.
The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts 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 with the requested authorities, are available on the DND/CAF website.
Financial Information |
2023-24 Forecast Results |
2024-25 Planned Results |
Difference (2024-25 Planned Results minus 2023-24 Forecast Results) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses |
28,284,625,000 | 29,458,602,000 | 1,173,977,000 |
Total revenues |
380,917,000 | 378,808,000 | (2,109,000) |
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
27,903,708,000 | 29,079,794,000 | 1,176,086,000 |
| Notes: The variance between the 2024–25 planned results and 2023–24 forecast results is mainly due to an increase in salary and employee benefits as well as an increase in amortization expense. | |||
Human resources
The following table shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for DND/CAF core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2021-22 Actual Full-Time Equivalents |
2022-23 Actual Full-Time Equivalents |
2023-24 Forecasted Full-Time Equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
Operations |
2,103 | 2,686 | 2,201 |
Ready Forces |
45,281 | 43,777 | 43,946 |
Defence Team |
19,259 | 18,728 | 20,716 |
Future Force Design |
1,983 | 2,062 | 1,890 |
Procurement of Capabilities |
2,457 | 2,339 | 2,523 |
Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure |
15,642 | 15,614 | 15,068 |
Subtotal |
86,722 | 85,208 | 86,344 |
Internal Services |
4,372 | 4,656 | 4,392 |
Total |
91,094 | 89,864 | 90,736 |
The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces' core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for 2024–25 and future years.
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services |
2024-25 Planned Full-Time Equivalents |
2025-26 Planned Full-Time Equivalents |
2026-27 Planned Full-Time Equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
Operations |
2,400 |
2,401 |
2,403 |
Ready Forces |
42,947 |
42,891 |
42,891 |
Defence Team |
20,902 |
20,856 |
20,867 |
Future Force Design |
1,974 |
1,961 |
1,960 |
Procurement of Capabilities |
2,714 |
2,702 |
2,702 |
Sustainable Bases, Information Technology Systems and Infrastructure |
15,444 |
15,351 |
15,332 |
Subtotal |
86,381 |
86,162 |
86,155 |
Internal Services |
4,969 |
4,890 |
4,841 |
Total |
91,350 |
91,052 |
90,996 |
The Reserve Force is a valued and integrated component of Defence. It is divided into four distinct sub-components:
- Primary Reserve;
- Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service;
- Canadian Rangers; and
- Supplementary Reserve (Strategic Reserve).
The Primary Reserve (P Res) consists of part-time professional CAF members, located throughout Canada, who respond with appropriate notice to conduct or contribute to CAF defence and security objectives domestically, on the continent, and internationally. In 2023, the CDS issued a landmark transformative strategy: "Enabling Full-Time Capability Through Part-Time Service: A New Vision for the Reserve Force". This Vision outlines the necessity towards achieving the fundamental change for the Reserve Force, as outlined in SSE, and how the Reserve force (primarily the P Res) can best contribute to the CAF overarching reconstitution, modernization, culture change, and operational readiness efforts. These endeavors are geared towards achieving the directed level of an average paid strength of 30,000 in areas where their efforts and outputs deliver maximum value. In FY 2024-25 and moving forward, the objectives and key tenets of this Vision will continue to be implemented across DND/CAF and integrated into all strategic planning activities. As with other portions of the CAF, such implementation will remain challenged by the ongoing resource (people and financial) limitations and the decline in the size of the CAF, including the reserve component.
The Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS) sub-component consists predominantly of part-time CAF members, located throughout Canada, primarily assigned to duties relating to the supervision, administration and training of youth who are enrolled in Royal Canadian Sea Cadet, Royal Canadian Army Cadet, and Royal Canadian Air Cadet programs. The COATS component currently comprises 6,483 CAF members in three military occupations: Cadet Instructors Cadre officers, General Service Officers and General Service Non-Commissioned Members. The current target strength of 8,000 COATS personnel is required to support the CAF's responsibility for the Department's Youth Programs (Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers).
2024-25 |
2025-26 |
2026-27 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Primary Reserve |
30,000 |
30,000 |
30,000 |
Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service |
8,000 |
8,000 |
8,000 |
Canadian Rangers |
5,680 |
5,680 |
5,680 |
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