City of Toronto was the highest spender per person across GTHA municipalities at $4,873; Milton was lowest at $2,740

VANCOUVER, June 4, 2026 /CNW/ -- Per-person municipal government spending (in inflation-adjusted dollars) grew across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) from 2009 to 2022, with Toronto as the highest spending municipality and Milton the lowest, finds a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

"Most GTHA municipal governments have increased their spending per person, after adjusting for inflation, but some have controlled spending better than others. These differences show just how decisions made at city hall can have a major impact on how much is spent and, ultimately, how much taxpayers are required to pay," said Austin Thompson, senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Comparing per-Person Spending and Revenue in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, 2009–2022.

The average GTHA municipal government increased per person spending by 7.6 per cent, adjusted for inflation, between 2009 and 2022, the latest year of comparable data.

In 2022, Toronto was the highest spender ($4,873 per person) followed by King ($4,153), and Georgina ($3,927)--all exceeding the municipal average ($3,452)--while Milton spent the least at $2,740 per person.

The municipalities with the largest increases in per person government spending (inflation adjusted) between 2009 and 2022 were: Georgina (29.4 per cent), King (21.8 per cent), Whitchurch-Stouffville (19.1 per cent), and Aurora (18.4 per cent).

The City of Hamilton recorded the largest decrease in per-person inflation-adjusted spending at -9.1 per cent.

Unsurprisingly, there is a connection between municipal government spending and revenue.

"Municipal governments that decide to spend more also need to raise more revenue, which means higher taxes for residents," said Thompson.

"The data in this study can help residents assess whether they're getting good value for their municipal tax dollars by clarifying how their municipal government's spending and revenue have changed over time."

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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: Austin Thompson, Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute; To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute, [phone] Ext. 721, [email protected]