DA Calculator 2026 – Calculate Dearness Allowance for Central Govt Employees
Calculate DA hike impact, arrears, and HRA revision for every DA revision
Dearness Allowance (DA) is a cost-of-living adjustment paid to central government employees and pensioners on top of basic pay, revised twice a year, from January 1 and July 1, based on movement in the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI). Use this calculator to work out your monthly DA amount, the increase from a revision, arrears owed for the months before the revision took effect, and whether the revision also triggers an HRA rate change.
Who Receives Dearness Allowance?
Central government employees across departments such as Railways, Defence, and Income Tax receive DA as a fixed percentage of basic pay. Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) employees also get it as part of their salary structure. State governments set and revise their own DA rates independently, usually following the central rate with some lag, so a state employee's DA percentage can differ from the central rate shown on this page.
Retired employees receive the equivalent benefit as Dearness Relief (DR) on their pension, revised alongside DA, including pensioners living abroad who have not taken up re-employment. One exception: pensioners who are re-employed under a central or state government department, an autonomous body, or a government undertaking on a fixed pay or time scale are generally not eligible to draw DA or DR during that re-employment.
Formula
DA Amount = Basic Pay × DA Rate ÷ 100
Arrear = (New DA% − Old DA%) × Basic Pay ÷ 100 × Arrear Months
HRA is linked to DA: the X-city HRA rate steps up from 24% to 27% of basic pay once DA crosses 25%, and to 30% once DA crosses 50% (Y/Z-city rates scale down proportionally).
Worked Examples
Example 1: Basic pay ₹56,100, DA revised from 53% to 58%, 6 months of arrears
Old DA = ₹29,733. New DA = ₹32,538. Monthly increase = ₹2,805. Arrear for 6 months = ₹16,830.
Example 2: Basic pay ₹44,900, DA revised from 50% to 55%, 12 months of arrears
Old DA = ₹22,450. New DA = ₹24,695. Monthly increase = ₹2,245. Arrear for 12 months = ₹26,940. Since DA crosses the 50% threshold, HRA also revises from 30% to 30%.
DA Arrears Explained
DA arrears arise because a revision's effective date, January 1 or July 1, almost always falls before the date the government actually announces and implements it. The Union Cabinet typically approves a DA hike several weeks after the effective date, and once implemented, employees receive the difference for every month already passed since the effective date in a single lump sum, the arrear, usually paid along with the next regular salary. Arrears are taxable in the year they are received, the same as regular salary.
Use the Arrear Months field in the calculator below to work out your own arrear for any revision, once you know how many months passed between the effective date and the date it was actually implemented in your payslip.
Enter Your Details
Monthly DA Increase
₹2,805/month
Total Arrear
₹16,830
How the Next DA Revision Is Predicted
DA is not set arbitrarily. Under the 7th Pay Commission formula, it is calculated from the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPI-IW), a monthly inflation index published by the Labour Bureau:
DA% = [(12-month average AICPI-IW × 2.88 − 261.42) ÷ 261.42] × 100, rounded down to the nearest whole number.
The 12-month average is taken on a rolling basis, so every new monthly AICPI-IW release moves the projected rate slightly. Analysts and employee associations track each month's index release to estimate where DA is heading before the government formally announces a revision, but the actual figure is only confirmed once the Union Cabinet approves it. This page does not publish a predicted percentage for the next revision, check the Current DA Rate banner above for the latest confirmed figure once it is announced.
DA Revision History
| Period | Rate | Your DA |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | 50% | ₹28,050 |
| Jul 2024 | 53% | ₹29,733 |
| Jan 2025 | 55% | ₹30,855 |
| Jul 2025 | 58% | ₹32,538 |
| Jan 2026 | 60% | ₹33,660 |
* DA is revised twice a year (January and July) based on the AICPI index. Arrear is paid after Cabinet approval.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The latest confirmed Dearness Allowance (DA) rate on this page is 60% of basic pay, effective from January 2026. DA is revised twice a year, in January and July, based on the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI).
DA is revised bi-annually, from January 1 and July 1 each year. The revised rates are announced by the Union Cabinet and take effect from these dates, with arrears paid for past months.
DA Amount = Basic Pay × DA Rate ÷ 100. For example, if your basic pay is ₹56,100 and DA is 58%, your DA is ₹32,538 per month.
Yes. Under 7th CPC, HRA rates are linked to DA levels. When DA crosses 25%, HRA increases from 24%/16%/8% to 27%/18%/9%. When DA crosses 50%, HRA rises again to 30%/20%/10%.
When DA reaches 50%, it triggers the highest HRA slab (30%/20%/10% for X/Y/Z cities). The existing DA is also typically merged into the basic pay when a new Pay Commission is implemented.