DA Calculator 2026

How the DA Calculation Works

Dearness Allowance (DA) is a cost-of-living adjustment paid to Central Government employees and pensioners to offset inflation. It is revised twice a year — from 1 January and 1 July — and is not set by discretion. It is a mechanical calculation based on the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPI-IW).

The 7th CPC Formula

The result is then rounded down (floored) to the nearest whole number. A few key terms:

• 12-month average — for the July revision, the window is July of the previous year to June of the current year.
• 2.88 — the linking factor that converts the new 2016=100 index series into the older 2001=100 series used in the 7th CPC structure.
• 261.4 — the base constant (average AICPI for 2015–16 on the 2001=100 series).
• Floor, not round — per government rules, 63.9% becomes 63%, not 64%.

Why July 2026 DA Looks Settled at ~63%

With AICPI-IW figures available through April 2026, the running 12-month average already produces a DA of about 63%. Even if the May and June 2026 readings stay flat or rise, the floored result holds at 63% — it would take a sharp fall in those two months to drop it to 62%. The central projection is therefore a 3 percentage point hike, from 60% to 63%, effective 1 July 2026. For the full month-wise breakdown and scenarios, read our Expected DA July 2026 guide.

AICPI-IW Trend Used (Base 2016=100)

All ten released months are taken from official Labour Bureau CPI-IW press releases. Only the May and June 2026 figures are still awaited — they are editable above so you can update them the moment the Labour Bureau publishes each one.

Frequently Asked Questions