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BC Provincial Debt Levels 1997 to 2016

The interest cost in the year ended March 31, 2016 was $2.9 billion, or $245.5 million per month. This is at extremely low interest rates.

Year	Taxpayer- Supported Debt $ millions	Self- Supported Debt $ millions	Total Provincial Debt $ millions	Population '000's @ July 31 Prev. Yr.	Provincial GDP $ millions	Debt to GDP	Debt per Capita	Party @ Mar 31
1997	21,275	8,096	29,371	3,874	108,454	27.1%	7,582	NDP
1998	22,151	8,204	30,355	3,949	113,596	26.7%	7,687	NDP
1999	23,176	9,057	32,233	3,983	113,945	28.3%	8,093	NDP
2000	25,154	9,297	34,451	4,011	118,783	29.0%	8,589	NDP
2001	24,953	8,882	33,835	4,039	125,690	26.9%	8,377	NDP
2002	27,534	8,548	36,082	4,076	133,514	27.0%	8,852	Liberal
2003	29,383	7,470	36,853	4,098	138,193	26.7%	8,993	Liberal
2004	29,984	7,753	37,737	4,122	145,642	25.9%	9,155	Liberal
2005	28,668	7,201	35,869	4,155	157,675	22.7%	8,633	Liberal
2006	27,251	7,206	34,457	4,197	169,664	20.3%	8,210	Liberal
2007	25,968	7,471	33,439	4,244	182,251	18.3%	7,879	Liberal
2008	26,589	8,048	34,637	4,310	192,117	18.0%	8,036	Liberal
2009	26,446	11,568	38,014	4,384	203,820	18.7%	8,670	Liberal
2010	30,021	11,864	41,885	4,460	195,670	21.4%	9,391	Liberal
2011	31,855	13,299	45,154	4,530	208,295	21.7%	9,969	Liberal
2012	34,659	15,534	50,193	4,499	217,460	23.1%	11,157	Liberal
2013	38,182	17,634	55,816	4,543	222,565	25.1%	12,287	Liberal
2014	41,068	19,625	60,693	4,583	225,794	26.9%	13,243	Liberal
2015	41,880	21,040	62,920	4,631	238,726	26.4%	13,587	Liberal
2016	42,727	22,565	65,292	4,683	244,990	26.7%	13,942	Liberal

Debt levels are as at March 31st of each year. Population is as at July 1st of each year in the same fiscal year - for instance, the 2016 debt is as at March 31, 2016, and the population is as at July 1, 2015.

Taxpayer-Supported Debt

Includes debt from:

provincial government direct operating and general capital

education - schools and post-secondary education

health facilities

highways, ferries and public transit

BC Transportation Financing Authority, BC Transit, public transit, SkyTrain extension

BC Pavilion Corporation

Homeowner Protection Office

Borrowing for ministries' capital spending are applied prospectively beginning in fiscal 2009/10. Figures for 2009 to 2012 have been restated in 2013.

social housing

other taxpayer-supported Crown corporations and agencies, loan guarantees (reconstruction, students, agricultural producers, etc.)

Self-Supported Debt

Includes debt from:

Commercial Crown corporations and agencies, and their debt in 2016:

	BC Hydro and Power Authority $17.9 billion
	BC Lottery Corporation $150 million
	Columbia River Power Corporation $296 million
	Columbia River power projects $459 million
	Post-secondary institutions' subsidiaries $310 million
	Transportation Investment Corporation $3.4 billion
	Other $33 million - includes Columbia Basin Trust's' share of real estate investment joint ventures' debt, BC Liquor Distribution Branch and School District 91 private company.

Provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The GDP is the total value of all the goods produced and services provided in a year.

Information sources:

Elections BC - Provincial General Election Results

BC Ministry of Finance Public Accounts - Provincial debt summaries

Provincial Debt Summary March 31, 2016 (pdf)

BC Crown Publications - Debt statistics

BC Stats population estimates

Revised: October 26, 2023