OTTAWA, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Canada recorded a slightly higher C$26.39 billion ($19.51 billion) budget deficit for the first eight months of the 2025/26 fiscal year as government expenditures grew faster than revenues, the finance ministry said on Friday.
By comparison, the deficit in the same period a year earlier had been C$22.72 billion, it said in a statement.
Program expenses rose 3.1% on increases across all major categories of spending. Public debt charges marginally increased by 0.3% reflecting offsetting effects of lower short-term interest rates on treasury bills and higher rates on stock of marketable bonds, the ministry said.
Year-to-date revenues grew by 1.9%, largely reflecting higher income from custom import duties and corporate and personal income tax revenues.
On a monthly basis, Canada posted a deficit of C$8.02 billion in November, compared to a C$8.21 billion deficit in November 2024.
($1 = 1.3524 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee, editing by David Ljunggren)
((Reuters Ottawa bureau; david.ljunggren@tr.com))
Keywords: CANADA BUDGET/
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