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State funding for public libraries

The NSW Government significantly increased funding for NSW public libraries from 2019/20.  

Funding per year is as follows:

Year Total funding
2026/27 $42.227M
2025/26 $41.771M
2024/25 $41.326M
2023/24 $40.892M
2022/23 $40.468M
2021/22 $38.618M
2020/21 $37.558M
2019/20 $36.478M
2018/19 $24.528M

The components of the Funding Strategy that increased as a result of the additional funding included the Per Capita Subsidies, Subsidy Adjustments, the Outback Letterbox Library and the Public Library Infrastructure Grants.

The per capita amount for subsidy increased annually from $1.85 to $2.85 per head in 2022/23, a 54% increase in per capita subsidy payments by 2022/23 for all councils.

Year Per capita amount
2022/23 and for each subsequent financial year $2.85
2021/22 $2.65
2020/21 $2.55
2019/20 $2.45
2018/19 $1.85