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New Brunswick: Budget 2026

A Sea Change in Fiscal Fortunes

March 17, 2026
Randall Bartlett
Deputy Chief Economist

Highlights

  • New Brunswick’s fiscal year 2026–27 (FY2027) budget projects a string of large deficits through FY2029, all of which are anticipated to be much deeper than in last year’s budget (graph 1). Table 1 summarizes the province’s updated fiscal forecasts.
  • New spending initiatives, particularly on health care, drove the further deterioration of the province’s bottom line.
  • The net debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to edge up to 36.0% over the planning horizon, from an outlook of 28.5% in the prior budget plan. This puts New Brunswick’s net debt on a steadily path over the outlook as a share of the economy.
  • New Brunswick expects to borrow $4.2B in FY2027, up from the $3.5B completed in FY2026.

PDF Publication

See the full publication in PDF.

New Brunswick: Budget 2026 (PDF, 410 KB)
NOTE TO READERS: The letters k, M and B are used in texts, graphs and tables to refer to thousands, millions and billions respectively. IMPORTANT: This document is based on public information and may under no circumstances be used or construed as a commitment by Desjardins Group. While the information provided has been determined on the basis of data obtained from sources that are deemed to be reliable, Desjardins Group in no way warrants that the information is accurate or complete. The document is provided solely for information purposes and does not constitute an offer or solicitation for purchase or sale. Desjardins Group takes no responsibility for the consequences of any decision whatsoever made on the basis of the data contained herein and does not hereby undertake to provide any advice, notably in the area of investment services. Data on prices and margins is provided for information purposes and may be modified at any time based on such factors as market conditions. The past performances and projections expressed herein are no guarantee of future performance. Unless otherwise indicated, the opinions and forecasts contained herein are those of the document’s authors and do not represent the opinions of any other person or the official position of Desjardins Group.