The Productivity Commission's latest Report on Government Services released late on Thursday shows youth detention spending has surged by $400 million in five years. Youth detention costs an average of $1.3 million per child per year, or more than $3600 a day, according to the data. The report stated there were about 860 young people in detention in Australia in 2025, up from 792 in 2020. "In Victoria, youth detention numbers were falling just two years ago," she said. Indigenous children remain over-represented in youth detention centres, the report states.