diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_gtk.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_gtk.py
index db5ca34cbf80..7eda5b924268 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_gtk.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_gtk.py
@@ -24,12 +24,7 @@
     raise ImportError("Gtk-based backends require cairo") from e
 
 _log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-backend_version = "%s.%s.%s" % (
-    Gtk.get_major_version(), Gtk.get_minor_version(), Gtk.get_micro_version())
-
-# Placeholder
-_application = None
+_application = None  # Placeholder
 
 
 def _shutdown_application(app):
@@ -305,6 +300,12 @@ def trigger(self, *args):
 
 
 class _BackendGTK(_Backend):
+    backend_version = "%s.%s.%s" % (
+        Gtk.get_major_version(),
+        Gtk.get_minor_version(),
+        Gtk.get_micro_version(),
+    )
+
     @staticmethod
     def mainloop():
         global _application
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py
index 7617d76e2591..2aec1440f6c6 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py
@@ -24,9 +24,6 @@
 
 
 _log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-backend_version = tk.TkVersion
-
 cursord = {
     cursors.MOVE: "fleur",
     cursors.HAND: "hand2",
@@ -1027,6 +1024,7 @@ def trigger(self, *args):
 
 @_Backend.export
 class _BackendTk(_Backend):
+    backend_version = tk.TkVersion
     FigureManager = FigureManagerTk
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
index 0d8a127dba8c..8fda2606b472 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
@@ -40,9 +40,6 @@
 from matplotlib.backends._backend_agg import RendererAgg as _RendererAgg
 
 
-backend_version = 'v2.2'
-
-
 def get_hinting_flag():
     mapping = {
         'default': LOAD_DEFAULT,
@@ -563,5 +560,6 @@ def print_webp(self, filename_or_obj, *, pil_kwargs=None):
 
 @_Backend.export
 class _BackendAgg(_Backend):
+    backend_version = 'v2.2'
     FigureCanvas = FigureCanvasAgg
     FigureManager = FigureManagerBase
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_cairo.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_cairo.py
index 3a0c96c92fba..3d6cec641884 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_cairo.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_cairo.py
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@
 from matplotlib.transforms import Affine2D
 
 
-backend_version = cairo.version
-
-
 def _append_path(ctx, path, transform, clip=None):
     for points, code in path.iter_segments(
             transform, remove_nans=True, clip=clip):
@@ -548,5 +545,6 @@ def set_context(self, ctx):
 
 @_Backend.export
 class _BackendCairo(_Backend):
+    backend_version = cairo.version
     FigureCanvas = FigureCanvasCairo
     FigureManager = FigureManagerBase
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3.py
index 89e92690c7eb..cb1062cf157c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
     _BackendGTK, _FigureManagerGTK, _NavigationToolbar2GTK,
     TimerGTK as TimerGTK3,
 )
-from ._backend_gtk import backend_version  # noqa: F401 # pylint: disable=W0611
 
 
 _log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk4.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk4.py
index 41b028e6620a..923787150a8d 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk4.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk4.py
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
     _BackendGTK, _FigureManagerGTK, _NavigationToolbar2GTK,
     TimerGTK as TimerGTK4,
 )
-from ._backend_gtk import backend_version  # noqa: F401 # pylint: disable=W0611
 
 
 class FigureCanvasGTK4(FigureCanvasBase, Gtk.DrawingArea):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_ps.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_ps.py
index 67829c216f9a..629f0133ed52 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_ps.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_ps.py
@@ -33,9 +33,8 @@
 from matplotlib.backends.backend_mixed import MixedModeRenderer
 from . import _backend_pdf_ps
 
-_log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-backend_version = 'Level II'
+_log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 debugPS = False
 
 
@@ -1364,4 +1363,5 @@ def pstoeps(tmpfile, bbox=None, rotated=False):
 
 @_Backend.export
 class _BackendPS(_Backend):
+    backend_version = 'Level II'
     FigureCanvas = FigureCanvasPS
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt.py
index b91446c4e632..2afff892ad2e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt.py
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@
 )
 
 
-backend_version = __version__
-
 # SPECIAL_KEYS are Qt::Key that do *not* return their Unicode name
 # instead they have manually specified names.
 SPECIAL_KEYS = {
@@ -1013,6 +1011,7 @@ def trigger(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
 @_Backend.export
 class _BackendQT(_Backend):
+    backend_version = __version__
     FigureCanvas = FigureCanvasQT
     FigureManager = FigureManagerQT
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
index 3c6b2c66a845..b6f643a34aa9 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 
 from .backend_qt import (  # noqa
-    backend_version, SPECIAL_KEYS,
+    SPECIAL_KEYS,
     # Public API
     cursord, _create_qApp, _BackendQT, TimerQT, MainWindow, FigureCanvasQT,
     FigureManagerQT, ToolbarQt, NavigationToolbar2QT, SubplotToolQt,
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py
index c81fa6f6ccb3..8a92fd5135d5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qt5agg.py
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
 backends._QT_FORCE_QT5_BINDING = True
 from .backend_qtagg import (    # noqa: F401, E402 # pylint: disable=W0611
     _BackendQTAgg, FigureCanvasQTAgg, FigureManagerQT, NavigationToolbar2QT,
-    backend_version,  FigureCanvasAgg,  FigureCanvasQT
-)
+    FigureCanvasAgg, FigureCanvasQT)
 
 
 @_BackendQTAgg.export
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qtagg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qtagg.py
index 7860c2b3e5ac..dde185107e98 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qtagg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_qtagg.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from .backend_agg import FigureCanvasAgg
 from .backend_qt import QtCore, QtGui, _BackendQT, FigureCanvasQT
 from .backend_qt import (  # noqa: F401 # pylint: disable=W0611
-    FigureManagerQT, NavigationToolbar2QT, backend_version)
+    FigureManagerQT, NavigationToolbar2QT)
 
 
 class FigureCanvasQTAgg(FigureCanvasAgg, FigureCanvasQT):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_svg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_svg.py
index 738fe44c6f81..9a472899c193 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_svg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_svg.py
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@
 from matplotlib import _path
 from matplotlib.transforms import Affine2D, Affine2DBase
 
+
 _log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-backend_version = mpl.__version__
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 # SimpleXMLWriter class
@@ -1426,4 +1426,5 @@ def draw(self):
 
 @_Backend.export
 class _BackendSVG(_Backend):
+    backend_version = mpl.__version__
     FigureCanvas = FigureCanvasSVG