Datanomics: Gender budget likely to miss spending target in FY26

Gender Budget share hits 9.37% in FY27, but department-wise data shows persistent underspending, with four of five key ministries missing targets

The share of the gender budget in total size of the Union Budget is projected to be the highest at 9.4 per cent in 2026-27. However, the current financial year’s spending is projected to miss the initial estimates. Four out of the top five departments that allocated at least 40 per cent of their budget to gender programmes failed to meet their spending targets in FY26.

 

Allocations on the rise

 

Gender budget allocations nearly rose 21% over two decades — from FY06 to FY27 — with FY27 Budget estimates at ₹5.01 trillion. Its share in total Budget size almost doubled during the period. 

 

Falling short in FY26

 

For the first time since FY16, the gender budget missed its target in FY26  — a shortfall of ₹0.51 trillion. 

 

Expenditure shortfall

 

The Department of Rural Development saw the sharpest cut in spending in revised estimates (RE) for FY26 compared to budgeted estimate (BE).