Trends in North Carolina State Spending: Total state spending has grown after both inflation and per capita adjustments | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This article, by Sarah Curry, was originally published in John Locke Foundation's online edition.

    • Regardless of whether it is measured in nominal, per capita, or inflation-adjusted terms, state spending is increasing.

    • North Carolina's total state budget peaked in 2012, reaching more than $51 billion or $5,348 per capita.

    • General Fund spending has decreased since 2009, but total state spending has increased. The shift of spending outside of the General Fund has created a lack of transparency in the state budget process.

    • Federal spending continues to be a major part of North Carolina's total budget spending, totaling 45 percent of total expenditures in 2012.

    • Health and Human Services is the largest state agency expenditure in North Carolina's budget and has grown over 260 percent since 1980.

    • During the Easley administration, Health and Human Services became the largest expenditure in total state government. Since 2005, the HHS budget has been consistently higher than education appropriations.

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