That's a good point.
Demographics is probably one of the two most important factors, the other being productivity growth. In the federal system, demographics generate a lot of differences, particularly through equalization and the structure of transfers, since they depend largely on population.
Provincial spending is highly dependent on the make-up of the population. For example, an aging population requires much more health care than a younger population. The interplay of transfers and rates of population growth that vary from place to place means that provincial needs will increase, but not all at the same rate. When health and social transfers and equalization are added to this, the issue becomes more complex. So—