B.C. Health-Care Wait Times And Student Test Scores Worsen Despite Marked Increases In Government Spending

A new study finds that despite substantial spending increases by the British Columbia government, the province’s healthcare wait times have increased, and student test scores have declined.

“Although the B.C. government has ramped up spending, British Columbians have not seen improvement in key indicators of health care and education,” said Ben Eisen, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.

After nearly a decade of relative spending restraint, the Fraser Institute study shows the BC government has increased program spending by 23.5 percent since 2016/17.

Meanwhile, due largely to spending increases, the province’s finances deteriorated from a budget surplus of $2.7 billion in 2016/17 to a projected $5.9 billion deficit in 2023/24.

From 2016/17 to 2020/21 (the latest year of comparable data), the government increased per-student spending by 12.9 per cent, yet the study shows that since 2015 student test scores (PISA) have fallen by 20 points or more in all three categories—reading, mathematics, and science.

To learn more, visit Fraser Institute.