MADISON, Wis. – Government debt in Wisconsin increased 38 percent between 2000 and 2004, a rate higher than inflation or personal income, according to a report released Thursday.

The findings by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance showed that at the same time state and local government debt was going up, the state’s overall tax burden remained one of the highest in the nation.

Taxes collected by Wisconsin state and local government were 12.2 percent of personal income in 2004, placing the state sixth highest in tax burden, according to the report.

New York ranked highest at 14.7 percent, followed by Wyoming at 13.9 percent, Maine at 13.4 percent, Hawaii at 12.6 percent and Vermont at 12.2 percent.