Dear John,

A new study published by the Fraser Institute today finds that once a province or state exceeds a certain population size, the government’s role in the economy begins to grow.

If the population grows past certain thresholds, the size of government compared to the economy also begins to grow, which can limit the economic opportunities for residents.

When a province’s population exceeds approximately 9.6 million, government spending as a share of the economy begins to increase, meaning more resources are controlled by the government compared to individuals, families and businesses than in provinces with smaller populations.

A similar effect was found using data for the US states. Learn more by checking out the full study here.

Sincerely,

Niels Veldhuis
President
The Fraser Institute