Mac Studio displays incorrect storage information even after deleting files

Storage on APFS volumes is complicated compounded by Apple choosing to use very confusing & misleading terminology to designate storage space. Make sure you are viewing the Free storage space as that is the most important value. Unfortunately macOS focuses on Available storage space which is very misleading since it does not mean what the name implies.

When deleting items from an APFS volume, the deleted data may remain in a hidden APFS snapshot created by backup software such as Time Machine. Eventually these APFS snapshots will be deleted automatically at some unknown time in the future once the backup has been fully transferred to external media.

Here is an Apple article with instructions for viewing APFS snapshots. You need to click on the "Data" volume within Disk Utility before the "Show APFS snapshots" appears on the Disk Utility View menu located on the menu bar.

View APFS snapshots in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support

See my other post here which explains the macOS storage terminology, especially for Free and Available storage space.

macOS Storage Terminology Explained -- hwtech - Apple Community

bellevue177 wrote:

Mac Studio 2022

Internal 2TB SSD partitioned, 1TB OS, 1TB data formatted APFS

A 2 TB SSD Drive, generally does not have Multi Partitions

It will have a System Volume usually identified as MacOS and a Second Volume called System Data

The latter of the two is the User Account ( Home Folder ) is contained

OS Ventura 13.4.1

The current version of Ventura is presently 13.6.5

About the security content of macOS Ventura 13.6.5

Just to add to @HWTech very good explanation

There is Purgeable Space and there is Empty Space.

The two are not one and the same.

Purgeable Space which is Controlled by the Operating System.

When the Operating Systems decides the computer needs additional Empty Space, it will move a portion of the Purgeable to Empty space

AFAIK - there is no User Actions to hasten this transition from Purgeable to Empty Space

It can day or longer before this will occur.

I personally do not depend on the the Reporting from System Setting >> General >> Storage figures

I use Disk Utilities as represented in below illustration, to have a more accurate view of Space

Follow on

Cache Files specifically can and do occupy space on the drive.

This too could be a large reason for Space Occupied Grows and Shrinks from time to time

If there a Suite of Adobe Applications used on this computer ?

They may create some very large cache files that can be removed. Though, the Adobe cache files will be recreated as the Applications needs them.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/premiere-pro/kb/clear-cache.html

The same clearing of System Cache files can be achieved by booting into Safe Mode

They will be recreated as the System Requires 

Follow on

Cache Files specifically can and do occupy space on the drive.

This too could be a large reason for Space Occupied Grows and Shrinks from time to time

If there a Suite of Adobe Applications used on this computer ?

They may create some very large cache files that can be removed. Though, the Adobe cache files will be recreated as the Applications needs them.

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/premiere-pro/kb/clear-cache.html

The same clearing of System Cache files can be achieved by booting into Safe Mode

They will be recreated as the System Requires