Ahead of Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tables Economic Survey in Lok Sabha

The survey provide essential insights into India’s economic health and sets the stage for the government’s fiscal plans

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday tabled the Nirmala Sitharaman 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha.

The survey is an annual report card of the country's economic performance in the financial year.

According to sources, the Economic Survey is likely to project a 6.8-7.2 per cent growth for 2026-27, a shade lower than 7.4 per cent estimated for the current fiscal.

The survey is tabled ahead of the Union Budget and presents a backdrop for the policy actions to be taken in the next financial year.

The document, prepared by the Finance Ministry’s Department of Economic Affairs, offers a detailed review of developments in the previous financial year and outlines the government’s roadmap for reforms and growth.

It sets the broad macroeconomic and policy priorities for the government at a time when the global economy is facing heightened geopolitical uncertainty and fragmentation.

The tabling of the survey in Parliament will be followed by a press briefing by Chief Economic Adviser, Union Ministry of Finance, V A Anantha Nageswaran on the key economic trends.

The Economic Survey document mainly lists down analysis and insights about the state of the economy, and developments across various sectors. It also throws light on climate change and adaption to it. The report also discusses prices and inflation, and monetary management along with challenges to keep in mind in the upcoming financial year.

The survey document opens with a preface by the Chief Economic Adviser. It generally has two parts — one that talks about the economic challenges that India faces and the other that deals with the analysis of the previous year.

Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026 on Sunday, February 1.