Interest payments in Germany
Germany: Interest payments was 32.06 billion current LCU in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Interest payments in Germany, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2024, interest payments in Germany stood at 32.06 billion current LCU.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 28.2% on the previous year and up 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in Germany peaked at 45.83 billion current LCU in 1998 and was at its lowest, 1.56 billion current LCU, in 1972.
That places Germany 74th out of 155 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest payments in Germany, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 1.56 billion current LCU | — |
| 1973 | 1.81 billion current LCU | +16.1% |
| 1974 | 2.40 billion current LCU | +32.5% |
| 1975 | 2.89 billion current LCU | +20.5% |
| 1976 | 3.74 billion current LCU | +29.6% |
| 1977 | 4.60 billion current LCU | +22.8% |
| 1978 | 5.09 billion current LCU | +10.8% |
| 1979 | 5.92 billion current LCU | +16.3% |
| 1980 | 7.22 billion current LCU | +21.9% |
| 1981 | 9.32 billion current LCU | +29.0% |
| 1982 | 11.52 billion current LCU | +23.7% |
| 1983 | 13.85 billion current LCU | +20.2% |
| 1984 | 14.45 billion current LCU | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 15.19 billion current LCU | +5.1% |
| 1986 | 15.74 billion current LCU | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 16.14 billion current LCU | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 16.79 billion current LCU | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 16.69 billion current LCU | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 17.82 billion current LCU | +6.8% |
| 1991 | 25.48 billion current LCU | +42.9% |
| 1992 | 34.32 billion current LCU | +34.7% |
| 1993 | 35.45 billion current LCU | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 39.54 billion current LCU | +11.5% |
| 1995 | 44.45 billion current LCU | +12.4% |
| 1996 | 44.66 billion current LCU | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 44.88 billion current LCU | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 45.83 billion current LCU | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 44.12 billion current LCU | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 45.09 billion current LCU | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 43.13 billion current LCU | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 42.73 billion current LCU | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 40.50 billion current LCU | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 39.59 billion current LCU | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 38.96 billion current LCU | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 39.27 billion current LCU | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 40.97 billion current LCU | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 41.99 billion current LCU | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 39.72 billion current LCU | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 37.79 billion current LCU | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 41.92 billion current LCU | +11.0% |
| 2012 | 38.57 billion current LCU | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 29.11 billion current LCU | -24.5% |
| 2014 | 26.93 billion current LCU | -7.5% |
| 2015 | 24.07 billion current LCU | -10.6% |
| 2016 | 20.83 billion current LCU | -13.5% |
| 2017 | 18.44 billion current LCU | -11.5% |
| 2018 | 17.26 billion current LCU | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 15.21 billion current LCU | -11.9% |
| 2020 | 10.82 billion current LCU | -28.8% |
| 2021 | 10.64 billion current LCU | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 16.92 billion current LCU | +59.1% |
| 2023 | 25.01 billion current LCU | +47.8% |
| 2024 | 32.06 billion current LCU | +28.2% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 32.06 billion current LCU is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.90 billion current LCU, 4.6× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Germany's 32.06 billion current LCU is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.50 billion current LCU, 3.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.50 billion current LCU | 1.56 billion current LCU | 5.92 billion current LCU | 8 |
| 1980s | 13.69 billion current LCU | 7.22 billion current LCU | 16.79 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.65 billion current LCU | 17.82 billion current LCU | 45.83 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.19 billion current LCU | 38.96 billion current LCU | 45.09 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.01 billion current LCU | 15.21 billion current LCU | 41.92 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.09 billion current LCU | 10.64 billion current LCU | 32.06 billion current LCU | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More public sector data for Germany
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest payments in Germany?
- Interest payments in Germany was 32.06 billion current LCU in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest payments recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 45.83 billion current LCU in 1998.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.56 billion current LCU in 1972.
- How does Germany rank for interest payments?
- Germany ranks 74th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest payments (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.