Last verified: 13 October 2026. How to read the labels: Confirmed = a Department of Expenditure Office Memorandum (OM), PIB release or Labour Bureau release, linked; Reported = media or union letters only; Estimate = our calculation from official index numbers. It is not a government rate.
DA/DR right now
- Current DA (employees) and DR (pensioners): 60% of basic pay or basic pension, effective 1 January 2026. The Cabinet approved it on 18 April 2026 and the DoE issued OM No. 1/1(i)/2026-E.II(B) on 22 April 2026. Confirmed (DoE OM, PIB)
- Next instalment, due from 1 July 2026: not yet approved. As of 13 October 2026, no newer DA order appears on the DoE circulars page. Confirmed (DoE circulars)
- What the formula points to for July 2026: 63%, a rise of 3 points. Estimate The working is below.
- Latest CPI-IW: 154.4 for August 2026, released on 30 September 2026. Confirmed (Labour Bureau)
Official DA history under the 7th CPC
Every row below was checked against the DoE OM, or against the PIB Cabinet release where the OM is not listed on the DoE website. The same percentages apply to DR for pensioners through separate DoPPW orders.
| Effective from | DA rate | Change | Official order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2026 | Pending | 63% is the formula estimate | Not issued as of 13 Oct 2026 |
| 1 Jan 2026 | 60% | +2 | OM 1/1(i)/2026-E.II(B), 22.04.2026 |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 58% | +3 | OM 1/4(i)/2025-E.II(B), 06.10.2025 |
| 1 Jan 2025 | 55% | +2 | OM 1/1(i)/2025-E.II(B), 02.04.2025 |
| 1 Jul 2024 | 53% | +3 | PIB, 16.10.2024 (OM 1/5/2024-E.II(B), 21.10.2024) |
| 1 Jan 2024 | 50% | +4 | PIB, 07.03.2024 (OM 1/1/2024-E.II(B), 12.03.2024) |
| 1 Jul 2023 | 46% | +4 | PIB, 18.10.2023 (OM 1/4/2023-E.II(B), 20.10.2023) |
| 1 Jan 2023 | 42% | +4 | OM 1/1/2023-E.II(B), 03.04.2023 |
| 1 Jul 2022 | 38% | +4 | OM 1/3/2022-E.II(B), 03.10.2022 |
| 1 Jan 2022 | 34% | +3 | OM 1/2/2022-E.II(B), 31.03.2022 |
| 1 Jul 2021 (revised) | 31% | +3 | OM 1/4/2021-E.II(B), 25.10.2021 |
| 1 Jul 2021 | 28% | +11 (restored three frozen instalments) | OM 1/1/2020-E.II(B), 20.07.2021 |
| 1 Jan 2020 – 30 Jun 2021 | 17% (frozen) | No arrears | OM 1/1/2020-E.II(B), 23.04.2020 |
| 1 Jul 2019 | 17% | +5 | OM 1/3/2019-E.II(B), 14.10.2019 |
| 1 Jan 2019 | 12% | +3 | OM 1/1/2019-E.II(B), 27.02.2019 |
| 1 Jul 2018 | 9% | +2 | OM 1/2/2018-E.II(B), 07.09.2018 |
| 1 Jan 2018 | 7% | +2 | OM 1/1/2018-E.II(B), 15.03.2018 |
| 1 Jul 2017 | 5% | +1 | OM 1/9/2017-E.II(B), 20.09.2017 |
| 1 Jan 2017 | 4% | +2 | OM 1/3/2017-E.II(B), 30.03.2017 |
| 1 Jul 2016 | 2% | +2 | OM 1/2/2016-E.II(B), 04.11.2016 |
| 1 Jan 2016 | 0% | 125% DA merged into the new pay matrix |
All rows Confirmed. The OM numbers shown in brackets for 2023–2024 are taken from references in later DoE orders, because those three OMs are not listed on the DoE website.
Latest CPI-IW numbers (base 2016 = 100)
| Month | CPI-IW | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 154.4 | DA from 1 Jan 2027 (window: Jan–Dec 2026) |
| Jul 2026 | 153.2 | |
| Jun 2026 | 151.9 | DA from 1 Jul 2026 (window: Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) |
| May 2026 | 150.8 | |
| Apr 2026 | 149.9 | |
| Mar 2026 | 149.1 | |
| Feb 2026 | 148.5 | |
| Jan 2026 | 148.6 | |
| Dec 2025 | 148.2 | |
| Nov 2025 | 148.2 | |
| Oct 2025 | 147.7 | |
| Sep 2025 | 147.3 | |
| Aug 2025 | 147.1 | |
| Jul 2025 | 146.5 |
Confirmed Monthly Labour Bureau press releases (archive). Year-on-year CPI-IW inflation was 4.96% in August 2026. The September 2026 index should be released around the end of October 2026. Estimate (based on Labour Bureau’s month-end release pattern)
How DA is calculated
DA orders and PIB releases only say that each increase follows “the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission”. Confirmed The OMs do not print the formula itself. The method below is the one in common use. It reproduces the official 60% for January 2026, which is why we rely on it.
- Take the 12-month average of All-India CPI-IW. Use January–December for the January revision and July–June for the July revision.
- Convert it to the old 2001 = 100 base by multiplying by the Labour Bureau linking factor of 2.88. Confirmed (Labour Bureau linking-factor letter)
- DA % = (converted average − 261.42) ÷ 261.42 × 100, then drop the decimals.
Check against January 2026: the January–December 2025 average is 145.54. Multiplied by 2.88 that gives 419.2, which works out to 60.34%. That rounds down to 60%, matching the official order.
July 2026: the July 2025 – June 2026 average is 148.65. Multiplied by 2.88 that gives 428.1, which works out to 63.76%, or 63% after rounding down. Estimate
January 2027 (early read): the September 2025 – August 2026 average is 149.82, which works out to about 65%. Four monthly readings (September–December 2026) are still to come, so this number will move. Estimate
Why the July 2026 DA is “late”, and when it usually comes
DA takes effect on 1 January and 1 July, but it is paid only after Cabinet approval and the DoE OM. Arrears from the effective date follow. Recent July instalments were approved by the Cabinet on 18 October 2023, 16 October 2024 and 1 October 2025. The January 2026 instalment was approved on 18 April 2026. Confirmed (PIB releases linked above; PIB, 1 Oct 2025) So mid-October without an order is not unusual. Employee bodies, including the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers and AIDEF, wrote to the government in October 2026 asking for early declaration. Reported
Correction to an older post: the Confederation sent a similar letter on 23 September 2025. The instalment that followed raised DA from 55% to 58% from 1 July 2025, ordered on 6 October 2025. It did not go from “50% to 53%”, as an earlier update on this site said.
The only time DA was not paid on schedule under the 7th CPC was during COVID-19. Three instalments were frozen and restored prospectively from July 2021, with no arrears. Confirmed
What a 3-point rise would mean
| Pay Level (entry basic) | Extra DA per month at +3% |
|---|---|
| Level 1 (₹18,000) | ₹540 |
| Level 4 (₹25,500) | ₹765 |
| Level 6 (₹35,400) | ₹1,062 |
| Level 7 (₹44,900) | ₹1,347 |
| Level 10 (₹56,100) | ₹1,683 |
Estimate These figures hold only if the government approves 63%. Arrears would cover each month from July 2026 until the month the new rate is first paid. Work out your own figure with our DA arrears calculator. For full salary scenarios, use the salary calculator.
DA and the 8th Pay Commission
The government told Parliament in December 2025 that “no proposal regarding merger of the existing Dearness Allowance with the Basic Pay is under consideration” and that DA/DR are revised every six months using AICPI-IW. Confirmed Unions are pressing for a 50% merger as interim relief. Proposed See what each union asked and the 8th CPC timeline. Under the 7th CPC, the 125% DA in force on 1 January 2016 was folded into the new matrix and DA restarted from zero. How the 8th CPC will treat DA has not been announced.
FAQ
What is the current DA rate for central government employees?
60% of basic pay from 1 January 2026, under DoE OM dated 22 April 2026. DR for pensioners is also 60%.
Has the July 2026 DA hike been announced?
Not as of 13 October 2026. The latest DA order on the DoE website is the one dated 22 April 2026.
How much will DA be from July 2026?
The official CPI-IW data gives 63% under the standard method. That is an estimate until the Cabinet approves it.
Will I get arrears?
Past orders have paid the revised rate from the effective date, so arrears normally run from 1 July. The exact terms will be in the OM when it is issued.
Is DR for pensioners calculated on commuted pension?
DoPPW orders apply DR to basic pension or family pension, including additional pension. Check the DR OM for your category when it is issued.
Official sources: DoE circulars · PIB Cabinet releases (PRID 1968727, 2012369, 2065315, 2173541, 2253245) · Labour Bureau CPI-IW press releases and linking-factor letter.