Canada had approximately 21.03 million employed people in 2025.
Of those, 4.55 million worked in the public sector, representing 21.6% of all employed Canadians. The private sector accounted for 13.77 million workers, or 65.5%, while another 2.71 million Canadians were self-employed.
The public sector includes more than government departments. Statistics Canada also includes public schools, hospitals and government-owned institutions within this category.
In simple terms, approximately one in every five employed Canadians worked in the public sector in 2025.
Source
Figures are 2025 annual averages for Canada, all genders