New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a gender budget allocation of Rs. 5.01 lakh crore for FY 2026-27, recording an 11.55% rise over the previous fiscal year.
She presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament on February 1, 2026. As a result, the share of the gender budget allocation in the total Union Budget increased to 9.37% in FY 2026-27 from 8.86% in FY 2025-26. In comparison, the allocation stood at Rs. 4.49 lakh crore in the last fiscal.
This year, 53 Ministries and Departments along with 5 Union Territories reported allocations in the Gender Budget Statement. Earlier, 49 Ministries and 5 UTs had submitted such details in FY 2025-26. Notably, four new Ministries and Departments joined the reporting framework in FY 2026-27. Consequently, this marked the highest participation since the statement began.
The allocations cover Part A, Part B and Part C of the statement. Part A includes schemes that cater exclusively to women. Under this category, authorities earmarked Rs. 1,07,688.42 crore, which forms 21.50% of the total outlay.
Ministry-wise trends in gender budget allocation
Part B covers schemes where 30% to 99% of funds benefit women. Ministries set aside Rs. 3,63,412.37 crore under this segment, accounting for 72.54% of the total. Meanwhile, Part C includes schemes with less than 30% allocation for women. Under this head, departments allocated Rs. 29,777.94 crore, which forms 5.95% of the total.
Several key Ministries reported substantial shares. For instance, the Ministry of Women and Child Development allocated 81.73% of its budget under the Gender Budget Statement. Similarly, the Department of Rural Development reported 69.92%. The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region recorded 48.60%, while the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation reported 48.04%.
In addition, the Department of Food and Public Distribution allocated 46.34%. The Department of Health and Family Welfare reported 40.44%. Moreover, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy set aside 39.05%. The Department of Higher Education reported 32.25%, while the Ministry of Panchayati Raj allocated 30.93%. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas reported 30.22%, and the Department of School Education and Literacy recorded 30.10%.
Overall, the government increased the gender budget allocation to strengthen welfare measures for women and girls. Therefore, officials described the rise as a step toward deeper inclusion in public spending.
