Economy Lower is better
Gross Fiscal Deficit (% of GSDP)
State government's gross fiscal deficit as a percentage of state GDP. The FRBM ceiling is 3% of GSDP; states have temporarily exceeded this during the pandemic.
Tamil Nadu's fiscal deficit is 3.4% % (2024-25), per Reserve Bank of India.
Tamil Nadu, latest
3.4%
2024-25 · estimate
Last verified
Change (nominal)
+17.8%
2017-18 → 2024-25
Rank vs compared states
#4 of 5
TN vs MH, KA, GJ, UP · lower is better
Tamil Nadu's Fiscal deficit is 3.4% (2024-25), up +17.8% in current prices since 2017-18. It ranks #4 of 5 compared states (lower is better).
Read this number carefully
- Figures are at current prices (nominal). The change includes inflation and overstates real growth.
- The latest year (2024-25) is an advance estimate; treat the most recent change cautiously.
About this indicator
This measures how much more a state government spends than it earns in a year, expressed as a share of the state economy, with borrowing filling the gap. The FRBM framework sets a common reference ceiling around 3 percent, so the ratio shows how much fiscal room a state is using. A higher deficit is not automatically bad if the borrowing funds productive capital assets, but persistently high levels raise interest costs and constrain future budgets.
Tamil Nadu's Fiscal deficit rose in current prices from 2.9% (2017-18) to 3.4% (2024-25).
Source: Reserve Bank of India
Compare with Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh
- 1 UP Uttar Pradesh 3.5% 2024-25
- 2 TN Tamil Nadu 3.4% 2024-25
- 3 KA Karnataka 3.0% 2024-25
- 4 MH Maharashtra 2.6% 2024-25
- 5 GJ Gujarat 2.1% 2024-25
Tamil Nadu highlighted. Each row shows that state's value and the year it is from. Compare like years with care.
Where this data comes from
The provenance of every value above and how to cite it.
Source provenance
All observations come from a single source.
Click any segment to open the source publication and verify the values yourself.
Methodology & notes
Gross Fiscal Deficit = Total Expenditure − (Revenue Receipts + Recoveries of Loans + Other Receipts). Expressed as % of nominal GSDP.
Alternate sources tracked
- · Comptroller and Auditor General of India (State Finance Audit Reports)
All values
Every observation, by state and period. Newest first.
Tamil Nadu
- FY25 2024-25 3.4% estimate
- FY24 2023-24 3.4% estimate
- FY23 2022-23 3.4%
- FY22 2021-22 4.1%
- FY21 2020-21 4.4%
- FY20 2019-20 3.3%
- FY19 2018-19 3.4%
- FY18 2017-18 2.9%
Maharashtra 8 values
- FY25 2024-25 2.6% estimate
- FY24 2023-24 2.8% estimate
- FY23 2022-23 2.5%
- FY22 2021-22 2.1%
- FY21 2020-21 2.6%
- FY20 2019-20 1.8%
- FY19 2018-19 1.7%
- FY18 2017-18 1.7%
Karnataka 8 values
- FY25 2024-25 3.0% estimate
- FY24 2023-24 2.6% estimate
- FY23 2022-23 2.6%
- FY22 2021-22 3.4%
- FY21 2020-21 4.0%
- FY20 2019-20 2.3%
- FY19 2018-19 2.3%
- FY18 2017-18 2.3%
Gujarat 8 values
- FY25 2024-25 2.1% estimate
- FY24 2023-24 1.9% estimate
- FY23 2022-23 1.8%
- FY22 2021-22 1.2%
- FY21 2020-21 2.3%
- FY20 2019-20 1.6%
- FY19 2018-19 1.4%
- FY18 2017-18 1.5%
Uttar Pradesh 8 values
- FY25 2024-25 3.5% estimate
- FY24 2023-24 4.0% estimate
- FY23 2022-23 4.0%
- FY22 2021-22 2.3%
- FY21 2020-21 3.5%
- FY20 2019-20 2.9%
- FY19 2018-19 3.0%
- FY18 2017-18 2.9%
Cross-state comparison (FY25)
Sorted low → high. Tamil Nadu highlighted.
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