Community story
Where the budget goes
What the Union government spends on things that last, such as roads, railways and defence equipment, beside the gap between its spending and its income, from 2005-06.
Not all government spending is alike. Some pays for salaries, interest and subsidies; some builds things that last for years. This story follows the second kind, capital expenditure, beside the fiscal deficit.
Union capital expenditure
Union government, ₹ crore
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11,21,090 ₹ crore · 2025-26
- Actual
- Revised Estimate
- Budget Estimate
The data behind this chart
| Financial year | Actual (₹ crore) | Provisional Actual (₹ crore) | Revised Estimate (₹ crore) | Budget Estimate (₹ crore) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 66362 | — | — | — |
| 2006-07 | 68778 | — | — | — |
| 2007-08 | 118238 | — | — | — |
| 2008-09 | 90158 | — | — | — |
| 2009-10 | 112678 | — | — | — |
| 2010-11 | 156605 | — | — | — |
| 2011-12 | 158580 | — | — | — |
| 2012-13 | 166858 | — | — | — |
| 2013-14 | 187675 | — | — | — |
| 2014-15 | 196681 | — | — | — |
| 2015-16 | 253022 | — | — | — |
| 2016-17 | 284610 | — | — | — |
| 2017-18 | 263140 | — | — | — |
| 2018-19 | 307714 | — | — | — |
| 2019-20 | 335726 | — | — | — |
| 2020-21 | 426317 | — | — | — |
| 2021-22 | 592874 | — | — | — |
| 2022-23 | 740025 | — | — | — |
| 2023-24 | 949195 | — | — | — |
| 2024-25 | — | — | 1018429 | — |
| 2025-26 | — | — | — | 1121090 |
Reading the two together
- Capital expenditure is spending on assets that last, such as roads, railways and defence equipment.
- The fiscal deficit is the gap between total spending and receipts other than borrowing.
Both are in ₹ crore, not adjusted for inflation, so later years look larger partly because prices are higher.
Union fiscal deficit
Union government, ₹ crore
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15,68,936 ₹ crore · 2025-26
- Actual
- Revised Estimate
- Budget Estimate
The data behind this chart
| Financial year | Actual (₹ crore) | Provisional Actual (₹ crore) | Revised Estimate (₹ crore) | Budget Estimate (₹ crore) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 146435 | — | — | — |
| 2006-07 | 142573 | — | — | — |
| 2007-08 | 126912 | — | — | — |
| 2008-09 | 336992 | — | — | — |
| 2009-10 | 418482 | — | — | — |
| 2010-11 | 373591 | — | — | — |
| 2011-12 | 515990 | — | — | — |
| 2012-13 | 490190 | — | — | — |
| 2013-14 | 502858 | — | — | — |
| 2014-15 | 510725 | — | — | — |
| 2015-16 | 532791 | — | — | — |
| 2016-17 | 535618 | — | — | — |
| 2017-18 | 591062 | — | — | — |
| 2018-19 | 649418 | — | — | — |
| 2019-20 | 933651 | — | — | — |
| 2020-21 | 1818291 | — | — | — |
| 2021-22 | 1584521 | — | — | — |
| 2022-23 | 1737755 | — | — | — |
| 2023-24 | 1654643 | — | — | — |
| 2024-25 | — | — | 1569527 | — |
| 2025-26 | — | — | — | 1568936 |