Budget 2019 to Budget 2022 investment in mental health and addiction report

This Budget 2019 to Budget 2022 investment in mental health and addiction report focuses on where key mental health and addiction investments have been spent as of 30 June 2023. We answer the question: ‘Where has the funding gone?’

In 2019, in response to the report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (He Ara Oranga), the Government invested over $1.9 billion into mental health and wellbeing as part of the landmark 2019 Wellbeing Budget.

There has been sustained public interest and commentary about this significant investment. It is important to monitor this investment and to have transparency as to how the funds have been used to improve mental health and wellbeing. 

This report shows where the Budget 2019 investment in the Government’s priority Taking mental health seriously was allocated to each initiative and the expenditure on each of those initiatives for the four years from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2023. It describes each initiative in terms of what it set out to achieve and its status as of 30 June 2023. The report also includes key mental health and addiction initiatives from Budget 2020 to Budget 2022.