<h1>Central Government's Fiscal Deficit Hits 17.9% of Annual Target by June 2025-26, Total Spending Rises</h1> The central government's fiscal deficit reached 17.9 percent of the full-year target by the end of June in the 2025-26 fiscal year, significantly higher than 8.4 percent in the same period of the previous year. The deficit amounted to Rs 2,80,732 crore against an estimated full-year target of Rs 15.69 lakh crore or 4.4 percent of GDP. Net tax revenue stood at Rs 5.4 lakh crore, representing 19 percent of the budget estimate for 2025-26, down from 21.3 percent in the prior year. Total expenditure during the first quarter was Rs 12.22 lakh crore, or 24.1 percent of the budget estimate, compared to 20.1 percent in the corresponding period the previous year.