So, why are British Columbians leaving the province? Taxes have also increased for British Columbians over the past decade. On the personal income tax front, for example, the NDP government in 2018 raised the top personal income tax rate from 14.70 percent to 16.8 percent-then, in 2020, raised it further to 20.5 percent. On health care, British Columbians face a median wait of 29.5 weeks for non-emergency (a.k.a. has long been among the most desirable provinces to live in, but many British Columbians are now choosing to leave.