Lok Sabha Question No. 354 (STARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Outstanding Loan on Government
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Dr. M K Vishnu Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *354

TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, THE 18 th  August, 2025

SRAVANA 27, 1947 (SAKA)

## Outstanding Loan on Government

*354 Dr. M K VISHNU PRASAD: Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) the amount of loan/debt on the Government during the last ten years and the current year, year-wise;
- (b) the details of outstanding loan/debt during the last financial year; and
- (c) the details of the repayment of such loan/debt and interest thereon during the last ten years and the current year?

## ANSWER

## THE FINANCE MINISTER (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 354 FOR ANSWER ON 18.08.2025 REGARDING OUTSTANDING LOAN ON GOVERNMENT ASKED BY Dr. M K VISHNU PRASAD.

- (a): The amount of loan/debt on the Government during the year, commonly known a fiscal deficit and the stock of outstanding debt is at table-1. Post Covid-19, the Government has consolidated the debt from 61.4% of GDP in 2020-21 to 56.1% of GDP in BE 2025-26. Further, the Government aims to keep fiscal deficit in each year in such manner that the Central Government debt is on declining path to attain debt to GDP level of about 50±1 percent by 31st March, 2031.
- (b) The outstanding loan/debt at the end of FY 2024-25 is provisionally estimated at ₹185.94 lakh crore. The details are as under:
- (c): Repayment of such loan/debt and interest payment in the last ten years and the current year are at table 2.

Table 1: The amount of loan/debt on the Union Government (₹ in lakh crore)

| Financial Year   |   Amount of loan/debt during the year (Fiscal Deficit) |   Outstanding debt as on 31 st March of FY | Outstanding debt %of GDP   |
|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
| 2015-16          |                                                   5.33 |                                      70.98 | 51.5%                      |
| 2016-17          |                                                   5.36 |                                      74.94 | 48.7%                      |
| 2017-18          |                                                   5.91 |                                      82.87 | 48.5%                      |
| 2018-19          |                                                   6.49 |                                      93.26 | 49.3%                      |
| 2019-20          |                                                   9.34 |                                     105.07 | 52.3%                      |
| 2020-21          |                                                  18.18 |                                     121.86 | 61.4%                      |
| 2021-22          |                                                  15.85 |                                     138.66 | 58.8%                      |
| 2022-23          |                                                  17.38 |                                     156.13 | 58.1%                      |
| 2023-24          |                                                  16.55 |                                     171.7  | 57.0%                      |
| 2024-25(PA)      |                                                  15.77 |                                     185.94 | 56.0%                      |
| 2025-26(BE)      |                                                  15.69 |                                     200.16 | 56.1%                      |

Note: PA is Provisional Actuals; BE is Budget Estimate

|                                   | Amount (₹ in lakh crore)   |
|-----------------------------------|----------------------------|
| Internal Debt                     | 157.11                     |
| External Debt                     | 8.74                       |
| Other Liabilities (Public Account | 20.09                      |
| Liabilities)                      |                            |
| Total                             | 185.94                     |

External Debt at exchange rate as on March 31, 2025

Table 2: Repayment of loan/debt and interest payment (₹ in lakh crore)

| Financial Year   |   Repayment of loan/debt* |   Interest on outstanding loan/debt** |
|------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2015-16          |                      1.67 |                                  4.42 |
| 2016-17          |                      2.01 |                                  4.81 |
| 2017-18          |                      1.64 |                                  5.29 |
| 2018-19          |                      1.79 |                                  5.83 |
| 2019-20          |                      2.7  |                                  6.12 |
| 2020-21          |                      2.62 |                                  6.8  |
| 2021-22          |                      3    |                                  8.05 |
| 2022-23          |                      3.53 |                                  9.29 |
| 2023-24          |                      4.88 |                                 10.64 |
| 2024-25(PA)      |                      4.16 |                                 11.16 |
| 2025-26(BE)      |                      4.61 |                                 12.76 |

Note: PA is Provisional Actuals; BE is Budget Estimate

*Repayment includes repayment of Market Loan and External Loan.

**Includes interest payment on debt contracted in the past as well.

*****