No.
Arizona’s budget has grown significantly, from approximately $10.1 billion in fiscal year 2019 to about $17.6 billion in fiscal year 2026. When adjusted for inflation, the 2019 budget amounts to roughly $12.7 billion in 2025 dollars — putting the actual increase closer to 40%.
The 2026 budget reflects higher spending in key sectors, including health and welfare programs, public safety salaries, and K-12 education. Arizona’s overall expenditures have increased under both Republican and Democratic governors, reflecting trends seen in other fast-growing states.
Contributing factors include rising costs for state services like education, growing obligations under federal programs like Medicaid, and inflation, according to Common Sense Institute, an Arizona-based think tank that analyzes economic issues.
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Executive Budget Summary (2019), State of Arizona
- House and Senate Approved Budget Bills (2026), State of Arizona
- State Expenditure Report, National Association of State Budget Officers
- Governor Katie Hobbs Celebrates Passage of the Arizona Promise Budget, Office of Governor Katie Hobbs
- Arizona on the Rise, Arizona Governor's Office
- Arizona’s Strong GDP Growth in 2024, University of Arizona Economic and Business Research Center
- The Arizona Budget: Then and Now, Common Sense Institute Arizona
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
