New Delhi, May 5 -- The Centre's reliance on small savings to finance its budget deficit increased in the previous financial year, with collections under the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) rising to Rs.2.19 trillion in the 11 months to February 2026, said two government officials aware of the matter.

The overall mobilization from these long-term, lock-in-based savings schemes such as Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana helped reduce pressure on market borrowing, even though monthly inflows remained uneven, the officials cited earlier said on the condition of anonymity.

According to department of expenditure data reviewed by Mint, NSSF collections during the first 11 months of...