BC government spending reaches highest level on record at $13,711 per person in 2025 (inflation-adjusted)

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 6, 2026 /CNW/ - Per-person (inflation-adjusted) program spending in British Columbia reached its highest level on record at $13,711 in 2025, finds a new report published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

"As British Columbians ask themselves how the province's finances could have deteriorated so quickly, a key answer lies in the level of historic spending," said Tegan Hill, Acting Director of B.C. Policy, with the Fraser Institute, and co-author of British Columbia Premiers and Provincial Government Spending, 2025.

This study reviews annual per-person program spending (inflation-adjusted) by British Columbia premiers from 1965 to 2025, and finds that the highest single year of per-person spending on record was under Premier David Eby in 2025.

Premier David Barret ranks as having the highest average annual increase overall in per person (inflation-adjusted) spending by 14.6 per cent, higher than Premier Rita Johnston (6.1 percent) though she served as premier for less than one fiscal year. Premier W.A.C. Bennett oversaw the third highest average annual change in per-person spending at 6.0 per cent.

"Prolonged government spending comes at a real cost for British Columbians, who inevitably foot the bill as taxpayers," said Hill.

"The goal of the study is to provide historical analysis of this key measure of government fiscal policy so British Columbians can easily understand current spending by the provincial government in a broader context."

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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org

SOURCE The Fraser Institute

MEDIA CONTACT: Tegan Hill, Director, Alberta Policy, Fraser Institute, To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute, [phone] Ext. 721, [email protected]