Quebec’s 2026–2027 Budget

In March 2026, Finance Minister Eric Girard introduced the eighth budget of his term, against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, unstable trade policies, and a rising cost of living. In this budget, the Government of Quebec plans to make nearly $9.6 billion in additional investments over five years.

A total of $1.7 billion is earmarked for accelerating economic transformation, including $693 million to help businesses adapt to the new business environment and $581 million for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across all regions. The cultural sector receives $429 million to support Quebec’s audiovisual and media ecosystem.

Major government programs will receive $4.3 billion, including $2.2 billion for health and social services, notably to improve access to primary care and reduce surgical waitlists. Education receives $639 million, and $392 million is earmarked for higher education, training in key sectors such as engineering and information technology, and research. Public safety and access to justice receive $1.1 billion.

The government is also allocating $3.6 billion to targeted measures for citizens and communities, including $2.4 billion to help families cope with the cost of living—notably through the construction of 1,000 affordable housing units and the conversion of 5,000 additional child care spots into subsidized spots.

The budget projects real GDP growth of 1.1% in 2026 and 1.4% in 2027. Quebec remains on track to achieve a balanced budget by 2029–2030, with one of the lowest deficits in Canada. As of March 31, 2026, net debt will stand at 38.8% of GDP, a decrease of 4.1 percentage points since 2019, making Quebec one of the few provinces to have reduced its debt during this period.

To view the budget overview