Government and public administration
The central machinery of government: the legislature, judiciary, tax administration, external affairs and general services.
₹1,89,156 crore
spent in 2025–26, 3.8% of all union government spending that year. Revised estimate, not yet final.
Every year on record
| Year | Amount | Share of union spending | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | ₹1,89,156 crore | 3.81% | Revised estimate |
| 2024–25 | ₹3,13,269 crore | 6.73% | Actuals |
| 2023–24 | ₹3,55,131 crore | 7.99% | Actuals |
| 2022–23 | ₹3,39,816 crore | 8.10% | Actuals |
| 2021–22 | ₹3,17,813 crore | 8.38% | Actuals |
| 2020–21 | ₹2,21,104 crore | 6.30% | Actuals |
What is inside it
24 budget lines make up this category. A group carries no figure of its own anywhere in this dataset: the total above is the sum of these, and each of them cites the document it was read from.
- Indirect Taxes Customs and GST collection, plus export incentive payouts under RoDTEP and RoSCTL. ₹41,000 cr
- Department of Posts India Post — the post office network, its staff and pensions, IT modernisation, and India Post Payments Bank. ₹26,000 cr
- Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Jal Jeevan Mission piped water to rural homes, and Swachh Bharat rural sanitation. ₹23,000 cr
- Ministry of External Affairs Embassies and consulates, aid to Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Africa, and India's dues to the UN and its agencies. ₹22,000 cr
- Department of Revenue Passes GST compensation to states, and runs the GST network, Enforcement Directorate and narcotics control. ₹20,000 cr
- Direct Taxes The income tax department — collecting income tax, corporation tax and securities transaction tax. ₹13,000 cr
- Ministry of Labour and Employment The employees' pension and state insurance schemes, the Shram Yogi Maandhan pension for informal workers, and mine safety. ₹13,000 cr
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs Company registration and filings, the Competition Commission, the audit regulator NFRA, and the PM Internship Scheme. ₹9,000 cr
- Indian Audit and Accounts Department The CAG's audit staff, who check how every other line in this budget was actually spent. ₹7,000 cr
- Law and Justice Running elections, the district courts, e-Courts digitisation, legal aid, and the tax tribunals. ₹5,000 cr
- Ministry of Food Processing Industries PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing, food parks and cold chains, and processing production incentives. ₹4,000 cr
- Cabinet The Prime Minister's Office, the Cabinet Secretariat, the Council of Ministers and the National Security Council. ₹978 cr
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan to train and equip village councils, and SVAMITVA property cards for rural land. ₹966 cr
- Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha: members' salaries and allowances, the secretariat, and the chamber itself. ₹923 cr
- Ministry of Planning NITI Aayog, the Atal Innovation Mission, and support to states on planning and development. ₹848 cr
- Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court: its judges, registry and building. ₹633 cr
- Department of Expenditure The controller of other ministries' spending: pay commission work, financial rules, and government accounting institutes. ₹511 cr
- Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha: members' salaries and allowances, the secretariat, and the chamber itself. ₹481 cr
- Union Public Service Commission The UPSC — the civil services examination and the other recruitment tests it conducts. ₹433 cr
- Election Commission The Election Commission itself — the body that conducts national and state elections. ₹373 cr
- Staff, Household and Allowances of the President The President's staff, household and allowances, and the upkeep of Rashtrapati Bhavan. ₹142 cr
- Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Managing government business in Parliament, and the eVidhan digital legislature system. ₹66 cr
- Central Vigilance Commission The Central Vigilance Commission — the anti-corruption watchdog over central government officials. ₹51 cr
- Secretariat of the Vice-President The Vice-President's office, staff and residence. ₹12 cr
Who spends it
The same money, grouped by the ministry that spent it rather than by what it paid for. Both views cover exactly the same rupees, that they agree is checked at build time, not assumed.
- Ministry of Finance ₹19.4 lakh cr in total
- Ministry of Communications ₹80,000 cr in total
- Ministry of Jal Shakti ₹41,000 cr in total
- Ministry of External Affairs ₹22,000 cr in total
- Ministry of Labour and Employment ₹13,000 cr in total
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs ₹9,000 cr in total
- Ministry of Law and Justice ₹6,000 cr in total
- Ministry of Food Processing Industries ₹4,000 cr in total
- Ministry of Home Affairs ₹2.41 lakh cr in total
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj ₹966 cr in total
- The President, Parliament, Union Public Service Commission and the Secretariat of the Vice President ₹2,000 cr in total
- Ministry of Planning ₹848 cr in total
- Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs ₹66 cr in total
- Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions ₹3,000 cr in total
Your share of it
These are national totals. Put in what you paid in income tax and the same proportions are applied to your own figure.
Work out your own share