According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CCF), more than 110,000 federal employees earned six-figure salaries in 2023, an increase of 7.6% from 2022 and 154% since 2015.
That means there would be 110,593 civil servants in Ottawa earning more than $100,000, costing taxpayers at least $13.9 billion in 2023.
This amount could even be underestimated because it does not take into account subsequent salary increases, according to the association.
“Taxpayers are running out of steam and can no longer afford to see the list of civil servants with exorbitant incomes grow,” said Nicolas Gagnon, Quebec director of the FCC, on Thursday.
More numerous
Between 2015 and 2023, the number of civil servants in Ottawa increased by 40%.
According to estimates by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (DPB), the average compensation of a full-time federal civil servant, taking into account salary, pension, paid vacation, operational bonuses and other benefits, is $125,300.
Documents received from the FCC list only base salary. They therefore do not include the costs of other social benefits granted to civil servants.
“The government must be transparent with taxpayers, and that starts with publishing a ‘sunshine list’ to reveal the salaries of the highest-paid civil servants,” Mr Gagnon argued.