The federal public service has grown by more than 57,000 people over the past 5 years. Employment and Social Development Canada accounts for 21 percent of the total increase; it grew from 27,000 in 2020 to 39,000 in 2025. The next largest increase was the Canada Revenue Agency, with an increase of about 7,500 employees. Health Canada is the only major federal department with fewer employees now than before the pandemic (10,794 in 2019, 9,628 in 2025).
For more, see: Public Service Cuts Coming: Here’s How to Do It Well
Note: Departments are ordered by total size in 2025. The figure includes all departments and agencies with employment over 1,500. This represents 96.8 percent of the total increase and 93.5 percent of total federal service employment. Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada have been combined.
Source: Federal public service statistics – Population of the federal public service by department or agency
