Education Gets Largest Share as Government Outlines 2026 Budget Allocations

Education, health, and public safety will receive the largest portions of Antigua and Barbuda’s 2026 recurrent expenditure, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced Thursday as he presented the national budget in Parliament.

According to the Budget 2026 Presentation, the government has allocated $220.1 million to the Ministry of Education, Sports and Creative Industries — the single largest share of recurrent spending. Browne said the investment reflects the administration’s commitment to expanding access to education, including tuition-free studies at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus once upgrades are completed.

The Prime Minister’s Ministry and Ministry of Finance & Corporate Governance will receive $196.9 million, the second-largest allocation. A further $147.5 million is earmarked for the Ministry of Health, Wellness, the Environment and Civil Service Affairs, supporting promised upgrades to healthcare delivery and staffing.

Other major allocations include:

• Ministry of Works and Housing: $121.7 million
• Attorney General’s Office & Ministry of Legal Affairs, Public Safety, Immigration and Labour: $124.6 million
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs: $35.5 million
• Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and Investment: $39.1 million
• Ministry of Information, Communications Technologies, Utilities and Energy: $15.9 million
• Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Fisheries and the Blue Economy: $29.5 million
• Ministry of Social Transformation and Urban Renewal: $31.9 million

Browne said allocations for offices such as the Legislature, the Judiciary, Audit, Cabinet, the Office of the Governor-General and others are detailed in the appendices.

The Prime Minister framed the allocations within broader expenditure trends for 2026, which include $1.21 billion in recurrent spending and $236.4 million in capital expenditure, with significant funding directed toward roadworks and public building refurbishments.

Wages and salaries remain the largest component of recurrent expenditure at $504.5 million, followed by $336.4 million in pensions and transfers, $231.2 million for goods and services, and $138.4 million in interest payments.

Browne said the allocations reflect a government focused on stability, sustained growth and “ensuring that the benefits of our progress are shared by every Antiguan and Barbudan,” noting that the country is projected to maintain both a primary and an overall surplus for the third consecutive year.

Budget debate resumes next week.

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