State governments have spent nearly $18 billion supporting mining and energy companies over the past six years, The Australia Institute says.

The research body has published a new paper called Mining the Age of Entitlement: State Government Assistance to the Minerals and Fossil Fuel Sector.

The figures are in: Queensland and Western Australia top the list of states pouring big bucks into their energy and mining sectors. Credit:Rob Homer

This is the first time anyone has attempted to put a dollar figure on the value of state government assistance to fossil fuel and mining companies across the country.