Report card · Fall 2026
Northwest Territories
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, Northwest Territories spent $3.1 billion, about $66,923 for every resident. That was 9.2% more than it planned.
It ended the year with a surplus of $21 million, worse than the surplus of $201 million it had planned.
Its independent auditor (Auditor General of Canada) signed off on the accounts without reservation.
The audited results came out 212–220 days after the year ended.
What it means per person
Northwest Territories's totals divided by its population of 46,038 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 $66,923 per resident, on services, programs and transfers
- Collected $67,384 per resident, in taxes, transfers and other revenue
- Net debt $42,490 per resident, what it owes, less its financial assets
Where every dollar went
Of every dollar Northwest Territories spent in 2025-26, as the government groups its spending.
- 29¢ Health and Social Services
- 18¢ Infrastructure
- 17¢ General Government
- 16¢ Education
- 9¢ Environment and Economic Development
- 11¢ 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 and Social Services +$75 million (9.1%)
- Infrastructure +$63 million (13.1%)
- Environment and Economic Development +$55 million (25.3%)
Context from the documents
- The original budget was set below the previous year's actual spending, and the legislature approved about $325 million of extra spending during the year. Against that revised budget, the government reports that spending came in under (unaudited discussion in the Public Accounts).
- The release date is not published; it was between 212 and 220 days after year end.
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 9.2% over budget. What caused it, and has this year's budget been adjusted to match?
- Health and Social Services cost $75 million more than budgeted (9.1% over). What was the reason?
- The bottom line was $179 million worse than planned. How will the difference be covered?
- The audited results took 212–220 days to come out. What would it take to publish them sooner?
Every figure behind this page, exactly as published, with the page it came from.
We extracted these figures from a PDF: Public Accounts of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2025-2026, Section I: Consolidated Financial Statements (includes the Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis). They are shown exactly as published, in thousands 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 thousands 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 | 3,102,227 | 3,020,742 | +81,485 +2.7% | Actual: Page 2 (PDF 16) Budget: Page 2 (PDF 16) |
| Total expenses | 3,080,996 | 2,820,225 | +260,771 +9.2% | Actual: Page 2 (PDF 16) Budget: Page 2 (PDF 16) |
| Annual surplus (deficit) | +21,231 | +200,517 | −179,286 | Actual: Page 2 (PDF 16) Budget: Page 2 (PDF 16) |
| Net debt | 1,956,150 | — | — | Actual: Page 1 (PDF 15); also Statement of Change in Net Debt p.3 (PDF 17) |
| Accumulated surplus | 2,464,975 | — | — | Actual: Page 1 (PDF 15) |
Spending by area
Expenses by sector or function, as the government groups them, in thousands of dollars. The thin line marks the budget.
Audit and release
- Auditor
- Auditor General of Canada
- Opinion
- Unmodified (clean)
- Audited results released
- Date not published
- Days after year end
- 212–220
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 Northwest Territories has been published yet.
Northwest Territories 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 Northwest Territories
Figures collected and checked November 6, 2026.
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