West Bengal Budget & State Finances
Revenue sources, expenditure patterns, fiscal deficits, and debt status of West Bengal state government.
West Bengal's expenditure has outpaced its revenue every single year. The fiscal deficit is structural, not cyclical — central transfers form the largest single revenue source, and capital spending sits below 15% of the budget. The debt-to-GSDP ratio is slowly declining as GSDP grows faster than borrowings. This page is the state's operating ledger, honestly told.
Key figures & data tables
West Bengal budgeted total revenue of ₹1,95,000 crore in 2025-26 — ₹98,700 crore of own tax revenue, ₹14,200 crore non-tax, and ₹82,100 crore in central transfers. Own tax revenue is 50.6% of the state’s total revenue, against 58.3% for the all-state average — the state leans harder on the Centre than most.
Total expenditure is ₹3,07,500 crore, of which ₹2,71,000 crore is revenue expenditure and only ₹36,500 crore is capital spending — 11.9% of the budget. Per capita expenditure is ₹30,500 against ₹33,800 for India.
The fiscal deficit is 3.4% of GSDP and the revenue deficit 2.1%, against 3.8% and 2.9% in 2019-20. Outstanding debt stands at 34.5% of GSDP (from 34.2% in 2019-20). The three largest spending heads are Interest Payments (₹55,350 crore, 18%), Education (₹46,230 crore, 15%), Social Welfare (₹36,900 crore, 12%).
The rows behind the charts above — 5 tables
›West Bengal revenue receipts by source (₹ crore)(7 rows)
Source: West Bengal Finance Department budget documents; PRS India budget analyses.
| Year | Own tax | Non-tax | Central transfers | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 51,890 | 8,120 | 52,340 | 1,12,350 |
| 2020-21 | 48,650 | 7,890 | 54,120 | 1,10,660 |
| 2021-22 | 61,230 | 9,450 | 58,670 | 1,29,350 |
| 2022-23 | 72,540 | 10,230 | 62,140 | 1,44,910 |
| 2023-24 | 80,120 | 11,560 | 68,900 | 1,60,580 |
| 2024-25 | 89,450 | 12,890 | 75,230 | 1,77,570 |
| 2025-26 | 98,700 | 14,200 | 82,100 | 1,95,000 |
›West Bengal expenditure — revenue vs capital (₹ crore)(7 rows)
| Year | Revenue expenditure | Capital expenditure | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 1,66,890 | 18,340 | 1,85,230 |
| 2020-21 | 1,72,450 | 17,120 | 1,89,570 |
| 2021-22 | 1,86,230 | 21,450 | 2,07,680 |
| 2022-23 | 2,05,670 | 24,890 | 2,30,560 |
| 2023-24 | 2,25,340 | 28,560 | 2,53,900 |
| 2024-25 | 2,48,900 | 32,450 | 2,81,350 |
| 2025-26 | 2,71,000 | 36,500 | 3,07,500 |
›West Bengal expenditure by sector(11 rows)
| Sector | ₹ crore | Share of budget (%) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interest Payments | 55,350 | 18 | 2025-26 |
| Education | 46,230 | 15 | 2025-26 |
| Social Welfare | 36,900 | 12 | 2025-26 |
| Pensions | 30,750 | 10 | 2025-26 |
| Rural Development | 24,600 | 8 | 2025-26 |
| Others | 24,495 | 8 | 2025-26 |
| Police & Home Affairs | 21,525 | 7 | 2025-26 |
| Health & Family Welfare | 18,450 | 6 | 2025-26 |
| Agriculture | 18,450 | 6 | 2025-26 |
| Urban Development | 15,375 | 5 | 2025-26 |
| Transport & Roads | 15,375 | 5 | 2025-26 |
›West Bengal fiscal indicators — deficit and debt (% of GSDP)(7 rows)
| Year | Fiscal deficit (%) | Revenue deficit (%) | Debt to GSDP (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 34.2 |
| 2020-21 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 38.8 |
| 2021-22 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 37.2 |
| 2022-23 | 4 | 2.6 | 38.4 |
| 2023-24 | 3.2 | 2 | 34.8 |
| 2024-25 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 35 |
| 2025-26 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 34.5 |
›West Bengal vs all-India state averages on fiscal capacity(2 rows)
| Metric | West Bengal | India | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per capita expenditure | 30,500 | 33,800 | ₹ per person (2025-26 BE) |
| Own tax share of revenue | 50.6 | 58.3 | % of total revenue |