Fiscal deficit widens to ₹5.73L-crore in H1

Centre's fiscal deficit in first half of FY26 stands at 36.5% of full-year target

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The Centre's fiscal deficit stood at 36.5 per cent of the full-year target at the end of the first half of FY26, according to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) Friday.

The fiscal deficit was 29 per cent of the Budget Estimates (BE) of 2024-25 in the first six months of the previous financial year.

In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit, or gap between the government's expenditure and revenue, was Rs 5,73,123 crore in the April-September period of 2025-26. The Centre estimates the fiscal deficit during 2025-26 at 4.4 per cent of the GDP, or Rs 15.69 lakh crore.