# local government budgets

China’s Provinces Go on a Budget Diet: 31 Regions Push Frugality to Fund Growth and Cut Waste

All 31 Chinese provinces have embedded a renewed push for ‘frugality’ in their 2026 budget plans, cutting administrative expenses and tightening controls on procurement and new assets. Officials aim to redirect savings to growth and livelihoods, while shifting attention to preventing wasteful government investment—though enforcement and economic trade-offs remain critical risks.