Follow the money
Where does Western Australia's money come from, and where does it go? These charts follow every dollar of WA general government operating revenue and expenses: about $55bn in the 2026-27 Budget, compared with the 2017-18 actual outcome.
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35.5% of WA's 2026-27 operating revenue comes from Canberra (Commonwealth grants, $19.5bn of $55.0bn).
- Total revenue is up 87% since 2017-18 ($29.3bn to $55.0bn).
- GST grants alone have risen from $2.25bn in 2017-18 to $9.34bn in 2026-27.
- Capital spending is not included in these flows. General government net debt still rises to $30.2bn by 30 June 2027.
The interactive versions of both charts, with the full line-by-line breakdown, are further down this page.
2026-27 Budget estimate
2017-18 actual
Sources
- 2026-27 revenue: Budget Paper No. 3 (2026-27 Economic and Fiscal Outlook), Appendix 2, Table 2.1 "Operating Revenue, General Government", pp. 272-274, Budget Year column.
- 2026-27 expenses: BP3 2026-27, Appendix 1, Note 6 "Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG)", p. 265. Operating balance and interest from the BP3 Operating Statement (Appendix 1). 2026-27 WA State Budget, Budget Paper No. 3 (PDF)
- 2017-18: 2017-18 Annual Report on State Finances, Appendix 2 Table 2.1 Operating Revenue (pp. 172-174), and Table 3.1 Spending by Government Purpose Classification, Actual column. 2017-18 Annual Report on State Finances (PDF)
Only general government operating revenue and expenses are included. Line items may differ by ±$2m from published totals due to rounding.
Total revenue$55.0bn
From Canberra35.5%
Raised in WA64.5%
Operating surplus$2.44bn
Tap or hover over any band to see $m and its share of revenue. On a phone, swipe sideways to see the whole chart. Lines under 1% of revenue are grouped. The full breakdown is in the table below.
Full breakdown (ungrouped)
| Line | $m | % of revenue |
|---|
| Commonwealth grants — $19,498m (35.5%) |
|---|
| GST grants | 9,342 | 17.0% |
| Health Reform (NHRA) | 3,995 | 7.3% |
| Capital grants - Transport | 2,039 | 3.7% |
| Better and Fairer Schools | 1,566 | 2.8% |
| Capital grants - Other | 752 | 1.4% |
| North West Shelf grants | 481 | 0.9% |
| NP/other grants - Other (current) | 369 | 0.7% |
| Skills agreement | 290 | 0.5% |
| NP/other grants - Transport (current) | 253 | 0.5% |
| Social Housing & Homelessness | 199 | 0.4% |
| NP/other grants - Health | 156 | 0.3% |
| Foundational Supports - Thriving Kids | 30 | 0.1% |
| Crude oil excise compensation | 26 | 0.0% |
| WA-sourced revenue — $35,482m (64.5%) |
|---|
| Iron ore royalties | 7,148 | 13.0% |
| Payroll tax | 6,546 | 11.9% |
| Sales of goods & services | 3,785 | 6.9% |
| Transfer duty | 3,637 | 6.6% |
| Dividends from GTEs | 3,082 | 5.6% |
| Motor vehicle taxes | 2,440 | 4.4% |
| Other royalties | 2,295 | 4.2% |
| Land tax | 1,295 | 2.4% |
| Insurance duty & other | 1,180 | 2.1% |
| Tax-equivalent payments from GTEs | 1,014 | 1.8% |
| Emergency Services Levy | 453 | 0.8% |
| Gambling taxes | 422 | 0.8% |
| Fines | 366 | 0.7% |
| Interest income | 357 | 0.6% |
| Other revenue n.e.c. | 308 | 0.6% |
| Landholder duty | 283 | 0.5% |
| Mining tenement rentals | 209 | 0.4% |
| Loan guarantee fees | 169 | 0.3% |
| Metropolitan Region Improvement Tax | 158 | 0.3% |
| BCITF levy | 103 | 0.2% |
| Landfill Levy | 90 | 0.2% |
| Perth Parking Levy | 65 | 0.1% |
| Mining Rehabilitation Levy | 49 | 0.1% |
| Foreign buyers surcharge | 30 | 0.1% |
| Rounding difference vs published total | -2 | -0.0% |
| Total revenue | 54,980 | 100% |
| Expenses by function — $52,539m (95.6%) |
|---|
| Health | 16,808 | 30.6% |
| Education | 9,885 | 18.0% |
| Public order & safety | 5,766 | 10.5% |
| Transport | 4,893 | 8.9% |
| Social protection | 4,473 | 8.1% |
| Economic affairs | 2,996 | 5.4% |
| Housing & community amenities | 2,732 | 5.0% |
| General public services (incl. most debt interest) | 2,608 | 4.7% |
| Recreation, culture & religion | 1,375 | 2.5% |
| Environmental protection | 748 | 1.4% |
| Provisions not allocated | 254 | 0.5% |
| Rounding difference vs published total | 1 | 0.0% |
| Operating surplus | 2,441 | 4.4% |
The 2026-27 figures are Budget estimates. Operating flows only: capital works are not included. Interest on debt is mostly inside "General public services" in the 2026-27 classification.
Sources: 2026-27 Budget Paper No. 3 Appendix 2, Table 2.1 Operating Revenue (pp.272-274); BP3 2026-27 Appendix 1 Note 6 Classification of the Functions of Government (p.265).
Total revenue$29.3bn
From Canberra33.4%
Raised in WA66.6%
Operating deficit−$0.62bn
Tap or hover over any band to see $m and its share of revenue. On a phone, swipe sideways to see the whole chart. Lines under 1% of revenue are grouped. The full breakdown is in the table below.
Full breakdown (ungrouped)
| Line | $m | % of revenue |
|---|
| Commonwealth grants — $9,791m (33.4%) |
|---|
| GST grants | 2,249 | 7.7% |
| National Health Reform | 2,174 | 7.4% |
| Non-govt schools assistance (pass-through) | 1,233 | 4.2% |
| Capital grants - Transport | 990 | 3.4% |
| North West Shelf grants | 695 | 2.4% |
| Students First (schools) | 660 | 2.3% |
| NP/other grants - Health | 386 | 1.3% |
| Local govt FAGs & roads (pass-through) | 282 | 1.0% |
| Capital grants - Other | 225 | 0.8% |
| NP/other grants - Other (current) | 187 | 0.6% |
| Disability SPP | 158 | 0.5% |
| Skills agreement | 152 | 0.5% |
| Affordable Housing SPP | 140 | 0.5% |
| NP/other grants - Disability | 96 | 0.3% |
| NP/other grants - Transport (current) | 74 | 0.3% |
| Capital grants - Housing | 48 | 0.2% |
| Crude oil excise compensation | 28 | 0.1% |
| NP/other grants - Housing | 14 | 0.0% |
| WA-sourced revenue — $19,541m (66.6%) |
|---|
| Royalties (all) | 5,231 | 17.8% |
| Payroll tax | 3,279 | 11.2% |
| Sales of goods & services | 2,456 | 8.4% |
| Dividends from GTEs | 1,718 | 5.9% |
| Motor vehicle taxes | 1,360 | 4.6% |
| Transfer duty | 1,223 | 4.2% |
| Land tax | 840 | 2.9% |
| Tax-equivalent payments from GTEs | 677 | 2.3% |
| Insurance duty & other | 645 | 2.2% |
| Other revenue n.e.c. | 376 | 1.3% |
| Emergency Services Levy | 338 | 1.2% |
| Gambling taxes | 258 | 0.9% |
| Landholder duty | 234 | 0.8% |
| Fines | 206 | 0.7% |
| Interest income | 170 | 0.6% |
| Loan guarantee fees | 143 | 0.5% |
| Lease rentals | 105 | 0.4% |
| Metropolitan Region Improvement Tax | 93 | 0.3% |
| Landfill Levy | 75 | 0.3% |
| Perth Parking Levy | 58 | 0.2% |
| Mining Rehabilitation Levy | 29 | 0.1% |
| BCITF levy | 25 | 0.1% |
| Rounding difference vs published total | 2 | 0.0% |
| Total revenue | 29,332 | 100% |
| Expenses by function — $29,949m (102.1%) |
|---|
| Health | 8,917 | 30.4% |
| Education | 7,245 | 24.7% |
| Public order & safety | 3,397 | 11.6% |
| Transport & communications | 2,343 | 8.0% |
| Social security & welfare | 2,225 | 7.6% |
| Housing & community amenities | 1,787 | 6.1% |
| Other purposes: public debt interest | 1,068 | 3.6% |
| Recreation & culture | 875 | 3.0% |
| Other economic affairs | 609 | 2.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 380 | 1.3% |
| General public services | 374 | 1.3% |
| Fuel & energy | 306 | 1.0% |
| Mining, manufacturing & construction | 242 | 0.8% |
| Other purposes: other | 181 | 0.6% |
| Other purposes: disaster relief | 1 | 0.0% |
| Rounding difference vs published total | -1 | -0.0% |
| Operating deficit | -617 | -2.1% |
The 2017-18 figures are actual results. Spending uses the older Government Purpose Classification, so categories differ from 2026-27. Operating flows only: capital works are not included.
Sources: 2017-18 Annual Report on State Finances, Appendix 2 Table 2.1 Operating Revenue (pp.172-174), Actual column; 2017-18 Annual Report on State Finances, Table 3.1 Spending by Government Purpose Classification, Actual column.