‘Fiscal deficit of centre hits 52.6% of full year target at October end’

New Delhi: The Centre’s fiscal deficit reached 52.6 per cent of the full-year target by the end of October 2025, official data showed on Friday. A year ago, the deficit stood at 46.5 per cent of the FY25 Budget Estimates over the same period.

In absolute terms, the fiscal gap for April–October FY26 was Rs 8.25 lakh crore. The government has projected a fiscal deficit of Rs 15.69 lakh crore, or 4.4 per cent of GDP, for the full year.

According to the Controller General of Accounts, the Centre collected about Rs 18 lakh crore in total receipts—51.5 per cent of the 2025-26 Budget Estimates—by October. This included Rs 12.74 lakh crore in net tax revenue, Rs 4.89 lakh crore in non-tax revenue, and Rs 37,095 crore from non-debt capital receipts. Tax devolution to states stood at Rs 8.35 lakh crore, up Rs 1.12 lakh crore from the previous year.

Total expenditure during April–October was Rs 26.25 lakh crore, or 51.8 per cent of the annual target. Of this, Rs 20 lakh crore was revenue expenditure and Rs 6.17 lakh crore capital expenditure. Interest payments accounted for Rs 6.73 lakh crore, while major subsidies totalled Rs 2.46 lakh crore. Agencies