The Centre’s fiscal deficit stood at 36.5% 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) on Friday.
In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit — the gap between the government’s total expenditure and revenue — amounted to ?5.73 lakh crore during the April–September 2025 period.
In comparison, the fiscal deficit had reached 29% of the Budget Estimates (BE) during the same period in the previous financial year (FY25), indicating a higher pace of spending or lower revenue receipts in the current fiscal.