NSW fire services spent 20 per cent less than Victorian organisations on staffing and capital costs but had to respond to nearly twice the number of fires and other incidents last year.

The NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW spent $1.4 billion on staffing, capital and other costs in the 2018-19 financial year, compared to $1.8 billion by fire services in Victoria, the latest Productivity Commission report on government services, released on Wednesday, reveals.

Proportionally, NSW fire organisations spent $173 per person in the state, compared to $276 in Victoria, $290 in Tasmania and $208 in both the ACT and NT last year.

NSW fire services' expenditure has consistently remained well below Victoria and the national average on a per-person basis since 2009-10.