Stories

India's Fiscal Deficit Hits 41.9% of Full-Year Target by August End

News18•30-09-2026, 17:00

•The central government's fiscal deficit reached Rs 7.1 lakh crore by the end of August, accounting for 41.9% of the full-year target.
•This figure represents a higher percentage compared to the 38.1% of Budget Estimates (BE) recorded during the same period last year.
•In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit for April-August 2026-27 stood at Rs 7,10,249 crore.
•Net tax revenue for the Centre up to August 2026 was approximately Rs 8.38 lakh crore, or 29.2% of the corresponding BE for total receipts.
•Total expenditure during the first five months amounted to about Rs 20.78 lakh crore, which is 38.9% of the BE, compared to 37.1% in the year-ago period. The Centre aims for a fiscal deficit of 4.3% of GDP or Rs 16.96 lakh crore for the current fiscal year.

The central government’s fiscal deficit stood at Rs 7.1 lakh crore, which represents 41.9 per cent of the full-year target at the end of August.

The Centre has set a fiscal deficit target of 4.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, or Rs 16.96 lakh crore, for the current fiscal year

The total expenditure during the first five months reached about Rs 20.78 lakh crore, representing 38.9 per cent of the Budget Estimates.