Interest payments in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Interest payments was 83.89 billion current LCU in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
83.89 billion current LCU
Change on year
down 4.9%
World rank
56th
of 155 countries
All-time high
109.41 billion current LCU
in 2022
All-time low
1.76 billion current LCU
in 1972
Years of data
53
1972–2024

Interest payments in United Kingdom, 1972–2024

025.0B50.0B75.0B100.0B197219982024

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current LCU.

Analysis

The most recent figure for interest payments in United Kingdom is 83.89 billion current LCU, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.9% on the previous year and up 62.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in United Kingdom peaked at 109.41 billion current LCU in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.76 billion current LCU, in 1972.

That places United Kingdom 56th 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 United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (current LCU) in United Kingdom, 1972 to 2024.
Year current LCU Change
1972 1.76 billion current LCU
1973 2.13 billion current LCU +21.0%
1974 2.62 billion current LCU +23.0%
1975 3.48 billion current LCU +32.4%
1976 4.28 billion current LCU +23.2%
1977 4.81 billion current LCU +12.5%
1978 5.99 billion current LCU +24.3%
1979 7.58 billion current LCU +26.7%
1980 9.42 billion current LCU +24.2%
1981 10.61 billion current LCU +12.6%
1982 10.98 billion current LCU +3.5%
1983 11.95 billion current LCU +8.8%
1984 13.29 billion current LCU +11.2%
1985 14.56 billion current LCU +9.6%
1986 15.25 billion current LCU +4.7%
1987 17.29 billion current LCU +13.4%
1988 17.90 billion current LCU +3.6%
1989 18.24 billion current LCU +1.9%
1990 18.07 billion current LCU -0.9%
1991 16.37 billion current LCU -9.4%
1992 16.73 billion current LCU +2.2%
1993 18.39 billion current LCU +9.9%
1994 21.51 billion current LCU +17.0%
1995 26.12 billion current LCU +21.4%
1996 27.77 billion current LCU +6.3%
1997 29.81 billion current LCU +7.4%
1998 30.70 billion current LCU +3.0%
1999 27.05 billion current LCU -11.9%
2000 27.12 billion current LCU +0.3%
2001 24.69 billion current LCU -9.0%
2002 22.52 billion current LCU -8.8%
2003 23.67 billion current LCU +5.1%
2004 25.43 billion current LCU +7.5%
2005 28.58 billion current LCU +12.4%
2006 30.29 billion current LCU +6.0%
2007 35.02 billion current LCU +15.6%
2008 36.27 billion current LCU +3.6%
2009 31.03 billion current LCU -14.4%
2010 48.28 billion current LCU +55.6%
2011 55.08 billion current LCU +14.1%
2012 51.37 billion current LCU -6.7%
2013 52.54 billion current LCU +2.3%
2014 51.62 billion current LCU -1.7%
2015 46.40 billion current LCU -10.1%
2016 50.48 billion current LCU +8.8%
2017 57.84 billion current LCU +14.6%
2018 55.27 billion current LCU -4.4%
2019 50.66 billion current LCU -8.4%
2020 43.52 billion current LCU -14.1%
2021 63.46 billion current LCU +45.8%
2022 109.41 billion current LCU +72.4%
2023 88.18 billion current LCU -19.4%
2024 83.89 billion current LCU -4.9%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 83.89 billion current LCU is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.90 billion current LCU, 12.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 83.89 billion current LCU is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.50 billion current LCU, 8.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.08 billion current LCU 1.76 billion current LCU 7.58 billion current LCU 8
1980s 13.95 billion current LCU 9.42 billion current LCU 18.24 billion current LCU 10
1990s 23.25 billion current LCU 16.37 billion current LCU 30.70 billion current LCU 10
2000s 28.46 billion current LCU 22.52 billion current LCU 36.27 billion current LCU 10
2010s 51.95 billion current LCU 46.40 billion current LCU 57.84 billion current LCU 10
2020s 77.69 billion current LCU 43.52 billion current LCU 109.41 billion current LCU 5

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 53 Czechia 104.72 billion current LCU compare
  2. 54 Equatorial Guinea 93.77 billion current LCU compare
  3. 55 Italy 84.84 billion current LCU compare
  4. 57 Uruguay 81.22 billion current LCU compare
  5. 58 Nepal 73.03 billion current LCU compare
  6. 59 Ethiopia 69.58 billion current LCU compare

See the full ranking of 155 places →

More public sector data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in United Kingdom?
Interest payments in United Kingdom was 83.89 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 United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 109.41 billion current LCU in 2022.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 1.76 billion current LCU in 1972.
How does United Kingdom rank for interest payments?
United Kingdom ranks 56th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
Is interest payments rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom 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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Interest payments in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-current-lcu/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (current LCU)
Unit
current LCU
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
155 places, 4,505 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

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.