BC NDP Debt Clock
This clock started at zero when the BC NDP took office on July 18, 2017. It counts every dollar B.C.'s net debt has grown since.
Net debt when the NDP took office
$39 billionDebt today
$118 billionIncrease since 2017
0%B.C. net debt by fiscal year
Billions of dollars, at March 31 of each fiscal year
Added since you opened this page: $0
How it's calculated
Dollar figures on this page are rounded to the nearest billion, except the live counters, which show whole dollars. The calculations behind the counters use the unrounded figures.
Net debt is the province's total liabilities minus its financial assets. It is the measure the B.C. government itself uses to report its debt. Figures are taken at March 31, the end of each fiscal year.
Net debt was about $38 billion on March 31, 2017, and about $42 billion a year later. Between year-end figures, the clock assumes debt grows at an even rate. On that basis, net debt stood at about $39 billion on July 18, 2017, the day the BC NDP took office. The clock counts up from that point.
The live rate comes from the growth forecast for the current fiscal year: from about $106 billion on March 31, 2026, to about $128 billion by March 31, 2027. That is about $713 every second. This counts all net debt growth, including borrowing for capital projects like hospitals, schools and transit, not only operating deficits. Figures after March 31, 2026, are Budget 2026 forecasts. The September 2026 quarterly update raised the deficit forecast by about $450 million, so the true figure may run slightly higher.
John Horgan served as premier from July 18, 2017, until David Eby was sworn in on Nov. 18, 2022. Both led BC NDP governments, so the clock counts continuously across both terms.
Real borrowing does not happen at an even pace, so the live figure is an estimate.
Sources: Department of Finance Canada, Fiscal Reference Tables, Table 27 (to 2021–22); B.C. Budget and Fiscal Plan 2026/27–2028/29, Table A15 (2022–23 onward); CBC News, July 18, 2017.