Warning! Your browser is extremely outdated and not web standards compliant.
Your browsing experience would greatly improve by upgrading to a modern browser.

Colorado Budget – Then & Now 2018

A Look Back at How State Spending Has Changed Over the Last 10 and 20 Years

The 2018 release of Colorado Budget: Then and Now offers an updated “big picture” view of how spending by the state of Colorado has changed over the past 20 years. Leading into the 2019 legislative session, it is important to be aware of the history of spending and the entirety of the budget, along with a focus on singular issues. These charts should prompt more questions about the details of “Why” and help frame the perpetual debate that shapes the priorities of our state government spending.

HOW HAS TOTAL STATE SPENDING CHANGED?

HOW HAS SPENDING FROM THE GENERAL FUND CHANGED?

 

HOW HAS THE SHARE OF GENERAL FUND SPENDING CHANGED OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS?

 

HOW HAS THE SHARE OF TOTAL STATE SPENDING CHANGED OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS?

 

HOW MUCH HAS STATE SPENDING PER COLORADAN CHANGED OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS?

 

State Budget
Budget Then & Now 2025

A Snapshot of the State Budget and How It Has Changed over the Last Few Decades.

December 11, 2025 Cole Anderson
State Budget
Colorado’s Revenue Picture Suggests a Need for at Least $800 Million in Smart Budget Reductions

On paper, Colorado’s budget looks reasonably strong. Policymakers already dealt with a $1.2 billion income tax shortfall in May. Then, during a special session in August, they addressed another $1.2 billion

November 06, 2025 Thomas Young
State Budget
Denver Spending in the Last Decade

Denver’s real expenditures per resident grew 51% in the past decade.

September 18, 2025 Emma RobertsDJ Summers
State Budget
The Budget Forecast - $1.2 Billion Could Very Well Be the Tip of the Iceberg

$1.2 Billion Could Very Well Be the Tip of the Iceberg

April 08, 2025 Thomas Young