EconomyGovernment
Where is the Centre's money going?
By the end of Aug 2026, it had spent 41.7% of the capital spending budgeted for FY27, ₹5.1 lakh cr, 18.2% more than in the same months a year earlier. At this point in the previous 9 years the median was 35.5%.
Written for readers following the Union budget through the year. Accounts to Aug 2026.
Is capital spending on budget?
By the end of Aug 2026, it had spent 41.7% of the capital spending budgeted for FY27, ₹5.1 lakh cr, 18.2% more than in the same months a year earlier. At this point in the previous 9 years the median was 35.5%. To spend its whole capital budget, the Centre must spend 11.7% more over the rest of the year than in the same months a year earlier.
Capital spending through FY27, as a share of the year's estimate
Year to date, % of the estimate.
How to read it. Above the median, the Centre is spending its capital budget faster than in past years.
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How heavy is the interest bill?
Interest took 36.7% of the Centre's revenue receipts over the twelve months to Aug 2026, against 40.4% a year earlier. By the end of Aug 2026, interest payments had reached 36.7% of the year's budget (41.4% a year earlier).
Interest payments as a share of revenue receipts
Twelve-month totals, %.
How to read it. Interest is the cost of past deficits. A rising share leaves less of each rupee collected for everything else.
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Are subsidies within budget?
Major subsidies had used 46.0% of their budget (39.0% a year earlier).
Major subsidies through FY27, as a share of the year's estimate
Food, fertiliser and petroleum subsidies, year to date, % of the estimate. CGA prints the line from September 2016.
How to read it. Fertiliser subsidies follow import prices and the sowing seasons; food subsidies follow the procurement calendar.
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What are the biggest calls on the budget?
In FY25 the Centre spent ₹11.2 lakh cr on interest, ₹10.5 lakh cr on capital assets, ₹2.9 lakh cr on defence, ₹2.7 lakh cr on pensions and ₹3.9 lakh cr on major subsidies, and passed ₹12.9 lakh cr to the states as their share of taxes.
The Centre's spending by head
₹ lakh crore by financial year, from FY15. The states' tax share is a transfer, not the Centre's own spending.
How to read it. The states' tax share was the largest of these in FY25. The states' tax share rises and falls with the Centre's tax collections; interest is the cost of past borrowing.
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The workings
The question
Data
Every chart has a table view, a CSV download and a link to its published JSON. Bundles are listed in data status.