A written answer has revealed where government spending has increased significantly in recent years.
The figures, provided in response to a written question from Onchan MHK Julie Edge, compare initial budgets with finalised out‑turns for every Department, Office and Board since 2018, revealing where costs have climbed most steeply.
Government spending has risen significantly since 2018, with health, education and central government functions seeing the largest increases.
A major structural change in 2021, the creation of Manx Care, reshaped how health budgets are presented, but the underlying trend is clear that frontline health spending has grown faster than any other area.
Finalised figures show DHSC’s budget rising from £220m in 2018/19 to £298m in 2025/26, an increase of more than £77m. This includes the Manx Care Mandate, introduced in 2021 to fund the Island’s new health services body.
Education also saw sustained growth, with DESC rising from £102m to £149m over the same period. Central government functions expanded too: Executive Government increased from £10m to £55m, largely due to superannuation costs now recorded within the department.
Other departments saw more modest rises, including the Cabinet Office, Home Affairs, DEFA and MNH. The only major fall was in Infrastructure, where spending dropped from £63m to £49m.
Treasury’s position remains negative due to income streams such as tax and National Insurance, moving from –£493m to –£710m.
Manx Care did not exist before 2021, but its introduction marks the point where health funding began to be split between DHSC and the new provider.
The full written answer can be found here.
