Report card · Fall 2026
New Brunswick
Fiscal year 2025-26. The short version first, then every figure behind it, from the government's audited public accounts.
The short version
In 2025-26, New Brunswick spent $14.9 billion, about $17,024 for every resident. That was 3.7% more than it planned.
It ended the year with a deficit of $1.3 billion, worse than the deficit of $549 million it had planned.
Its independent auditor (Auditor General of New Brunswick) signed off on the accounts without reservation.
The audited results came out 178 days after the year ended.
What it means per person
New Brunswick's totals divided by its population of 877,969 on October 1, 2025 (Statistics Canada). This is not a tax bill: every Canadian pays for federal and provincial or territorial government at the same time, and some of this money comes from other governments.
- Spent $17,024 per resident, on services, programs and transfers
- Collected $15,539 per resident, in taxes, transfers and other revenue
- Paid in interest $831 per resident, about 5¢ of every revenue dollar
- Net debt $15,841 per resident, what it owes, less its financial assets
Where every dollar went
Of every dollar New Brunswick spent in 2025-26, as the government groups its spending.
- 34¢ Health
- 21¢ Education and Training
- 16¢ Social Development
- 8¢ Central Government
- 7¢ Transportation and Infrastructure
- 14¢ Everything else
What went off plan
The areas furthest from their budget, in dollars. Going over isn't automatically bad (an emergency or a program added during the year can be the reason), and coming in under can mean delayed work.
Over budget
- Health +$453 million (9.7%)
- Social Development +$186 million (8.5%)
- Central Government +$99 million (9.1%)
Under budget
- Economic Development −$104 million (−20.6%)
- Education and Training −$70 million (−2.2%)
Questions worth asking
Based only on the figures above. Put them to your MLA, MP or candidates, or to the finance department.
- Spending came in 3.7% over budget. What caused it, and has this year's budget been adjusted to match?
- Health cost $453 million more than budgeted (9.7% over). What was the reason?
- The bottom line was $755 million worse than planned. How will the difference be covered?
- Interest on debt took about 5.5 cents of every dollar of revenue. What is the plan for the debt over the next few years?
Every figure behind this page, exactly as published, with the page it came from.
We extracted these figures from a PDF: Public Accounts Volume I: Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2026. They are shown exactly as published, in millions of dollars, with the page each one came from. Check them against the official document .
The year in figures
Actual results against the budget printed in the same audited statements. Amounts in millions of dollars. Debt and accumulated balances are shown as positive amounts; the label says which they are.
| Item | Actual | Budget | Difference | Where we found it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | 13,643.1 | 13,859.7 | −216.6 −1.6% | Actual: PDF page 38 (printed 34) Budget: PDF page 38 (printed 34) |
| Total expenses | 14,946.6 | 14,408.7 | +537.9 +3.7% | Actual: PDF page 38 (printed 34) Budget: PDF page 38 (printed 34) |
| Annual surplus (deficit) | −1,303.5 | −549 | −754.5 | Actual: PDF page 38 (printed 34) Budget: PDF page 38 (printed 34) |
| Net debt | 13,907.6 | 12,819.4 | +1,088.2 +8.5% | Actual: PDF page 37 (printed 33) Budget: PDF page 40 (printed 36) |
| Accumulated deficit | 3,421 | — | — | Actual: PDF page 37 (printed 33) |
| Interest on debt | 729.4 | 740.4 | −11 −1.5% | Actual: PDF page 38 (printed 34); Note 16 at PDF 78 (printed 74) Budget: PDF page 38 (printed 34) |
Spending by area
Expenses by sector or function, as the government groups them, in millions of dollars. The thin line marks the budget.
Audit and release
- Auditor
- Auditor General of New Brunswick
- Opinion
- Unmodified (clean)
- Audited results released
- September 25, 2026
- Days after year end
- 178
Source documents
We link to the official documents rather than republishing them. We kept a copy of each, as downloaded, so these figures can be re-checked even if a link changes.
Right of reply
No response from New Brunswick has been published yet.
New Brunswick can respond to this section. We confirm every response by phone before publishing it, then publish it here in full, unedited. If you find an error, tell us through the contact form on our About page. Corrections are noted on the page; figures are never changed silently.
Respond on behalf of New Brunswick
Figures collected and checked November 6, 2026.
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