The figures may yet be revised but the borrowing bill is £3.8 billion more than the £72.2 billion pencilled in by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The higher borrowing was put down to higher capital spending as well as increased pension payments by the ONS.
This year Osborne is attempting to cut the deficit to £55.5 billion, and targeting an overall surplus of £10 billion by 2019/20.
But prospects have been hampered by the unexpectedly weak growth seen at the start of this year, as well as the creeping impact of a Brexit-inspired slowdown on the Treasury’s tax take ahead of next month’s vote.
Alan Clarke of ScotiaBank said: “Admittedly, it is month one out of 12 and anything can happen over the rest of the year."
“Nonetheless, logic would say that the poor start to the year for growth argues for worse, not better public finances.”
Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight added: “The more the economy slows amid heightened uncertainty ahead of the referendum, the more challenging the fiscal target will become.
“The Chancellor will certainly need growth to pick up once the referendum is out of the way, assuming that there is a vote to remain in the EU.”
