shortfall
n.a situation where you have less of something than you need or expected. It is often used to talk about missing money, supplies, or time.
n.a deficit or failure to reach a required or expected amount. Often used in financial or logistical contexts to describe the gap between a target and the actual result.
“The company had a budget shortfall this year.”
“A sudden shortfall in grain production forced the government to increase food imports from neighboring countries.”
“Economists warned that the projected revenue shortfall could lead to significant cuts in public services unless the tax code was reformed to capture digital transactions.”
Commonly paired with 'in' to specify the missing resource, such as a 'shortfall in funding' or a 'shortfall in production'.
“Children make up more than half of the refugee population, yet the 2026 Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan received only 17 percent of the funding it required, leaving an 83 percent shortfall.”
“This is highlighted by one report earlier this year which said Japan faced a shortfall , external of almost 800,000 IT professionals by 2030.”