Government Spending

School Spending and Performance in Canada and Other High-Income Countries is a new study that finds higher per-student spending levels are not associated with stronger academic achievement. In fact, among the provinces, Saskatchewan was the highest per-student spender but ranked 8th out of the 10 provinces in scores on the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Manitoba was the second highest per-student spender and recorded the lowest PISA scores nationwide. Conversely, British Columbia was the lowest spender per student in Canada and achieved the fourth-highest PISA scores.

Quebec Premiers and Provincial Government Spending is a new study that finds Premier François Legault holds the record for the highest per-person spending levels in Quebec—even excluding COVID-related spending—at $14,487 (2021) and $13,705 (2020), and Legault has overseen the third-highest rate of average annual per person spending growth at 7.3 per cent.