Archived - Backgrounder: Highlights From the Annual Financial Report for 2014–15
The financial results in the Annual Financial Report are based on the audited consolidated financial statements of the Government of Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015, the condensed form of which is included in the report. For the 17th consecutive year, the Government has received an unmodified audit opinion from the Auditor General of Canada on the consolidated financial statements. The complete consolidated financial statements are available on the Public Works and Government Services Canada website.
- The Government posted a budgetary surplus of $1.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015, compared to a budgetary deficit of $5.2 billion in 2013–14.
- Revenues increased by $10.7 billion, or 3.9 per cent, from 2013–14, reflecting increases across all major revenue streams. Program expenses increased by $5.2 billion, or 2.1 per cent, reflecting increases in major transfers to persons and other levels of government, offset in part by a decrease in direct program expenses. Public debt charges were down $1.6 billion, or 5.8 per cent, due mainly to a lower average effective interest rate on the stock of interest-bearing debt.
- The federal debt (the difference between total liabilities and total assets) stood at $612.3 billion at March 31, 2015. The federal debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio was 31.0 per cent, down from 32.3 per cent a year earlier.
- As reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada’s total government net debt-to-GDP ratio, which includes the net debt of the federal, provincial/territorial and local governments, as well as the net assets held in the Canada Pension Plan and Québec Pension Plan, stood at 40.4 per cent in 2014. This is the lowest level among Group of Seven (G-7) countries, which the OECD expects will record an average net debt of 86.8 per cent of GDP for the same year.
Final results for fiscal year 2014–15 show a budgetary surplus of $1.9 billion, which is a $3.9-billion improvement over the Budget 2015 forecast of a $2.0-billion deficit.
The improvement over projections for major budget components is as follows:
- Revenues were $3.0 billion higher than expected, primarily reflecting gains in personal and corporate income tax revenues. These higher-than-expected increases were driven by stronger-than-expected March revenues and positive year-end adjustments.
- Program expenses were $0.8 billion lower than forecast, largely reflecting lower-than-expected direct program expenses.
- Public debt charges were $0.1 billion lower than forecast, reflecting a lower-than-expected average interest rate on the stock of interest-bearing debt.
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