Not a recommendation
Sukanya Samriddhi and Public Provident Fund
सुकन्या समृद्धि और पीपीएफ
Last reviewed: 11 November 2026
Sukanya Samriddhi and the Public Provident Fund are both small-savings schemes. The Ministry of Finance notifies a rate for each, and the National Savings Institute prints them on one table. They are not interchangeable, and this page is not advice to pick one.
What is fixed about Sukanya Samriddhi
These points come from the 2019 Scheme and the rate sources linked below. They are the only numbers this comparison will state.
| Sukanya Samriddhi | Public Provident Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can open | A guardian, for a girl who has not turned 10. One account for her. Usually two girls in a family. | Read the PPF row and the PPF scheme text on the official table. Those rules are not restated here. |
| Where | Post office or authorised bank | Same table |
| Deposit in a year | ₹250 to ₹1,50,000, in multiples of ₹50 | See the official scheme |
| How long deposits continue | 15 years from opening | See the official scheme |
| When it matures | 21 years from opening | See the official scheme |
| Rate for Oct–Dec 2026 | 8.2% a year, unchanged from the previous quarter | Read the PPF cell on the NSI table for the same quarter |
| Partial withdrawal | Education only, up to 50%, Form-3 | See the official scheme |
| Tax, as NSI states it for SSY | Deposit under section 80C. Interest free under section 10. | See the official wording for PPF |
The PPF cells are left blank on purpose. Copying a rate from memory, or from a finance article, is how comparison pages go stale. Open the table and read the row:
- NSI small-savings table, from 1 April 2025
- NSI Sukanya history, including 8.2% from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026
- DEA office memorandum, 30 September 2026, which kept the October–December 2026 rates unchanged
A useful way to compare, without a winner
Ask three questions that the Sukanya rules actually answer.
- Is there a girl who has not turned 10? If not, a Sukanya account cannot be opened. The age rule is paragraph 3(1). PPF is a different scheme; its own eligibility is on the official text, not here.
- Do you need the money at a known future year? Sukanya deposits stop at 15 years and the account matures at 21. An education withdrawal of up to half is possible earlier, on the conditions on the withdrawal page. That shape will not match every household.
- Which rate is notified this quarter, for each scheme? Use the NSI table on the day you decide. The calculator estimates only the Sukanya side, at a rate you can edit, and it labels the result as an estimate.
Nothing on this page says one scheme will pay more, or that either deposit is right for you.
Related pages
Sukanya Samriddhi interest rate
Sukanya Samriddhi interest is 8.2% a year for 1 October to 31 December 2026, unchanged from the previous quarter. Full NSI history.
Tax on a Sukanya Samriddhi account
NSI says a Sukanya Samriddhi deposit qualifies under section 80C, and interest is free from income tax under section 10.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, SSY or PPF?
There is no recommendation here. They are different small-savings schemes. Sukanya Samriddhi can be opened only for a girl under 10. Read both rows on the National Savings Institute interest table before you decide.
What is the Sukanya rate to compare?
8.2% a year for 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026. It is reviewed every quarter. The Public Provident Fund rate for the same quarter is on the NSI table, not restated here.
Can I use the calculator for both?
The calculator on this site estimates a Sukanya Samriddhi account only: 15 years of deposits and maturity at 21 years. It is not a PPF calculator.