A new report from the Fraser Institute says British Columbia’s per-person government spending reached the highest level on record in 2025.
According to the study, inflation-adjusted program spending totalled 13,711 dollars per person last year. The report examines annual per-person government spending by BC premiers from 1965 to 2025 and identifies 2025 as the single highest year on record.
The study attributes the increase to sustained government spending and places the findings within a broader historical context. It notes that the highest level of per-person spending occurred under Premier David Eby.
The report also ranks former premiers by average annual increases in spending. Former Premier Dave Barrett recorded the highest average annual increase, followed by former Premier Rita Johnston, who served less than one fiscal year, and former Premier W.A.C. Bennett.
The Fraser Institute says rising government expenditures eventually impact taxpayers and that understanding spending trends is key to evaluating provincial fiscal policy. The organization says the goal of the report is to help British Columbians better understand how current government spending compares to past decades.
The Fraser Institute is an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank that conducts research on government policy and economic issues across Canada.
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