TORONTO, September 23, 2026 – Today, the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) released four reports that review ministry spending plans in the 2026 Ontario Budget. The reports review the following ministries: Children, Community and Social Services; Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security; Education; Health; and Long-Term Care. In total, these ministries account for 73 per cent of the Province’s 2026-27 spending plan in the 2026 Ontario Budget.
The FAO’s four reports compare ministry spending plans in the 2026 Ontario Budget against historical spending, the spending plan from the 2025 Ontario Budget and the FAO’s projection for ministry spending required to maintain current service levels (also known as a cost driver projection).
In addition, the reports estimate the potential impact of each ministry’s 2026 budget spending plan on select programs and service level indicators, and compare Ontario’s program spending and service level indicators against the other provinces.
To learn more, read each report at the links below:
- Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
- Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security
- Ministry of Education
- Ontario Health Sector (Ministries of Health and Long-Term Care)
Finally, for additional information on each ministry’s spending plan, see the FAO’s 2026-27 Expenditure Estimates Dashboard, which has been updated to reflect revised estimates of unaudited 2025-26 spending.
About the FAO
Established by the Financial Accountability Officer Act, 2013, the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) provides independent analysis on the state of the Province’s finances, trends in the provincial economy and related matters important to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Visit our website or follow us on X and LinkedIn for more information on our reports.
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For further information, please contact:
Sophia Zhu | 416 931 5498 | SZhu@fao-on.org l fao-on.org