Cost of government
The cost of government
How Alberta’s ministry spending, travel, and political overhead have changed over time.
Ministry operating expense over time
Stacked per-ministry operating expense from government estimates. The top six ministries by total spend are shown individually; the rest are grouped as “Other.” Ministry counts per year appear in the summary table below.
25ministries in 2026-2027(+9 vs. 2000-2001)
Health-family ministries are charted separately below.
Travel spend by ministry
Top 8 ministries by travel spend, with the rest grouped as “Other.” Executive Council travel has grown the most.
| Fiscal year | Ministries | Operating expense | Travel spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-2001 | 16 | $14,233,339,000 | — |
| 2002-2003 | 24 | $16,749,657,000 | — |
| 2003-2004 | 24 | $18,061,360,000 | — |
| 2004-2005 | 24 | $19,786,012,000 | — |
| 2005-2006 | 24 | $22,998,708,000 | — |
| 2006-2007 | 18 | $15,514,104,000 | — |
| 2007-2008 | 11 | $17,045,262,000 | — |
| 2008-2009 | 13 | $19,620,105,000 | — |
| 2009-2010 | 15 | $23,464,546,000 | — |
| 2010-2011 | 15 | $25,141,944,000 | — |
| 2011-2012 | 24 | $34,303,205,000 | $768 |
| 2012-2013 | 31 | $35,838,128,000 | $3,186,117 |
| 2013-2014 | 23 | $31,280,718,000 | $7,857,473 |
| 2014-2015 | 26 | $33,581,125,000 | $5,831,655 |
| 2015-2016 | 28 | $37,929,507,000 | $4,540,040 |
| 2016-2017 | 23 | $38,947,880,000 | $4,828,293 |
| 2017-2018 | 21 | $41,795,025,000 | $4,909,007 |
| 2018-2019 | 24 | $41,886,335,000 | $4,485,193 |
| 2019-2020 | 23 | $44,473,071,000 | $3,414,919 |
| 2020-2021 | 21 | $42,570,641,000 | $482,728 |
| 2021-2022 | 26 | $44,791,584,000 | $852,775 |
| 2022-2023 | 43 | $45,023,887,000 | $2,538,972 |
| 2023-2024 | 43 | $50,285,494,000 | $3,458,038 |
| 2024-2025 | 34 | $53,834,781,000 | $4,741,705 |
| 2025-2026 | 31 | $56,825,726,000 | $3,607,180 |
| 2026-2027 | 25 | $62,475,782,000 | — |
The Health ministry breakup
In 2023-24, Mental Health and Addiction split off from Health. Then in 2026-27, the residual Health ministry was broken into Hospital & Surgical Health Services and Primary & Preventative Health Services — one ministry became three.
Political overhead over time
Minister office expenses and MLA payments — the cost of the political layer. Senior public servant compensation is broken out in the table below.
| Fiscal year | Minister offices | MLA payments | Senior compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (partial) | $8,663 | — | — | $8,663 |
| 2012-2013(partial) | $526,186 | $442 | — | $526,628 |
| 2013-2014(partial) | $1,640,344 | $109,807 | — | $1,750,150 |
| 2014-2015(partial) | $814,759 | $332 | — | $815,091 |
| 2015-2016(partial) | $482,201 | $569 | — | $482,770 |
| 2016-2017(partial) | $814,138 | $318 | — | $814,455 |
| 2017-2018(partial) | $911,041 | $321 | — | $911,362 |
| 2018-2019(partial) | $794,700 | $318 | — | $795,017 |
| 2019-2020(partial) | $751,247 | $147,122 | $424,176,535 | $425,074,905 |
| 2020-2021(partial) | $171,053 | $419 | $384,551,038 | $384,722,509 |
| 2021-2022(partial) | $421,620 | $321 | $342,052,699 | $342,474,640 |
| 2022-2023(partial) | $962,639 | $321 | $349,464,726 | $350,427,685 |
| 2023-2024(partial) | $1,257,411 | $423 | $320,283,549 | $321,541,383 |
| 2024-2025(partial) | $1,763,238 | $321 | $375,216,017 | $376,979,576 |
| 2025-2026(partial) | $1,215,192 | — | — | $1,215,192 |
Sunshine list
Senior public servant compensation disclosures — every position above the disclosure threshold, broken down by base salary, benefits, and severance.
View the sunshine list →Machinery of government changes
Ministry reorganizations — splits, merges, renames, and new ministries — shape how operating expense is attributed from one fiscal year to the next.
20201 change
- renamedECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRADE AND TOURISM → JOBS, ECONOMY AND INNOVATION
20212 changes
- renamedAGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY → Agriculture, Forestry And Rural Economic Development
- renamedCULTURE, MULTICULTURALISM AND STATUS OF WOMEN → CULTURE AND STATUS OF WOMEN
202216 changes
- createdAffordability and UtilitiesAffordability and Utilities
- createdTechnology and InnovationTechnology and Innovation
- mergedCOMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES → SENIORS, COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES
- mergedSENIORS AND HOUSING → SENIORS, COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES
- renamedCULTURE AND STATUS OF WOMEN → CULTURE
- renamedENVIRONMENT AND PARKS → Environment and Protected Areas
- renamedJOBS, ECONOMY AND INNOVATION → JOBS, ECONOMY AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT
- renamedSERVICE ALBERTA → Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction
- renamedTRANSPORTATION → Transportation and Economic Corridors
- splitAgriculture, Forestry And Rural Economic Development → Agriculture and Irrigation
- splitAgriculture, Forestry And Rural Economic Development → FORESTRY, PARKS AND TOURISM
- splitHealth → Mental Health and Addiction
- splitJUSTICE AND SOLICITOR GENERAL → Justice
- splitJUSTICE AND SOLICITOR GENERAL → Public Safety and Emergency Services
- splitLABOUR AND IMMIGRATION → SKILLED TRADES AND PROFESSIONS
- splitLABOUR AND IMMIGRATION → TRADE, IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURALISM
20237 changes
- renamedCHILDREN'S SERVICES → Children and Family Services
- renamedCULTURE → Arts, Culture and Status of Women
- renamedENERGY → Energy and Minerals
- renamedJOBS, ECONOMY AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT → JOBS, ECONOMY AND TRADE
- renamedTRADE, IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURALISM → Immigration and Multiculturalism
- splitFORESTRY, PARKS AND TOURISM → Forestry and Parks
- splitFORESTRY, PARKS AND TOURISM → Tourism and Sport