The fiscal deficit stood at 38.1% of the annual target in the corresponding April-August period a year earlier.
The Centre has budgeted a fiscal deficit of Rs 16.96 lakh crore for FY27.
Total receipts stood at Rs 13.68 lakh crore during April-August, equivalent to 37.5% of the full-year Budget Estimate of Rs 36.52 lakh crore. In the corresponding period last year, receipts were at 36.7% of the annual target.
Total expenditure, meanwhile, reached Rs 20.78 lakh crore, or 38.9% of the Rs 53.47 lakh crore budgeted for the financial year. Expenditure had reached 37.1% of the full-year target during the same period last year.
Revenue receipts stood at Rs 12.92 lakh crore, or 36.6% of the Budget Estimate. Of this, net tax revenue was Rs 8.38 lakh crore, while non-tax revenue stood at Rs 4.55 lakh crore.
Net tax revenue reached 29.2% of the full-year estimate, compared with 28.6% during the corresponding period last year. Non-tax revenue stood at 68.2% of the annual target, lower than 75.5% in the year-ago period.Non-debt capital receipts stood at Rs 75,239 crore during the five-month period, equivalent to 63.5% of the Budget Estimate.
On the expenditure side, revenue expenditure reached Rs 15.68 lakh crore, or 38% of the full-year estimate. Capital expenditure stood at Rs 5.10 lakh crore, equivalent to 41.7% of the Rs 12.22 lakh crore budgeted for FY27. Capital expenditure had reached 38.5% of the annual target in the corresponding period last year.
Interest payments stood at Rs 5.15 lakh crore during April-August, accounting for 36.7% of the full-year Budget Estimate.
The revenue deficit widened to Rs 2.76 lakh crore, or 46.5% of the annual target, compared with 37.9% in the corresponding period last year. The primary deficit stood at Rs 1.95 lakh crore, or 67% of the Budget Estimate.
Major subsidy expenditure reached Rs 1.87 lakh crore through August, equivalent to 46% of the Rs 4.11 lakh crore budgeted for the year, compared with 39% of the annual target during the corresponding period last year.
Food subsidy expenditure stood at Rs 83,510 crore, while urea subsidy spending reached Rs 77,522 crore. Spending on nutrient-based fertiliser subsidies was Rs 25,617 crore, while petroleum subsidies stood at Rs 388 crore.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget for FY27, had pegged the fiscal deficit target at 4.3% of GDP as the government continued on its fiscal consolidation path.