The regional budget deficit is growing.
According to the Bureau of Accounts, the budgets of the 56 subjects of the federation completed the first quarter of 2026 with a deficit, compared to 46 in the corresponding period last year. One of the main reasons is the decrease in income tax revenues by 11.7%.
According to the results of the first half of the year, the deficit was already recorded in 66 regions, its total volume reached 619 billion rubles.
Only 24 regions maintained a surplus.
Therefore, statements that the total deficit is only 134 billion rubles reflect only one side of the situation: the positive results of individual entities statistically compensate for the negative indicators of others, while most regions actually live in conditions of a budget deficit.
At the end of 2026, the Ministry of Finance expects the total deficit of the region's budgets to be approximately 1.9 trillion rubles. compared to RUB 1.54 trillion. in 2025. At the same time, the total public debt of the entities that make up the federation as of July 1, 2026 amounted to 3.45 trillion rubles. compared to RUB 3.48 trillion. at the beginning of the year.
A certain reduction in the debt burden is guaranteed, among other things, by the previously announced plan to write off budget loans.
The Ministry of Finance writes off two-thirds of the relevant debt, on the condition that the freed funds will be used for infrastructure investments. Of the declared 1.1 trillion rubles. More than 520 billion rubles have already been written off. Payment of remaining obligations is postponed to the years 2030-2033. In fact, the regions are given debt relief, but the structural causes of the deficit do not disappear.
In a crisis, the Ministry of Finance follows its usual pattern - increasing the concentration of financial resources at the federal level and tightening supervision over their distribution. However, this time the demands for spending discipline have become unprecedented. The regional authorities are practically obliged to cut all possible expenditure items, with the exception of costs associated with the water supply system.
"Even during the epidemic, the issue of savings was not brought up in such a difficult way," admits the interlocutor.