Interest payments (% of expense) by country
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 as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.
Countries reporting
149
Highest
49.4%
Sri Lanka
Lowest
0.0%
Iraq
Median
7.3%
Years covered
53
1972–2024
Data points
5,277
What the numbers show
Interest payments (% of expense) is currently reported for 149 countries. The highest value is 49.4% in Sri Lanka; the lowest is 0.0% in Iraq.
The median across all reporting countries is 7.3%, and the mean is 8.8%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 6,062.
Over the past decade 82 countries rose and 64 fell. The largest increase was in Iran (up 992,558.0%), and the largest decrease in Iraq (down 99.2%).
Interest payments: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sri Lanka | 49.4% | 2023 | up 56.7% | rising |
| 2 | Ghana | 32.8% | 2022 | up 172.5% | rising |
| 3 | Angola | 31.9% | 2019 | up 333.0% | volatile |
| 4 | Zambia | 26.5% | 2021 | up 312.2% | volatile |
| 5 | Malawi | 26.3% | 2022 | up 187.6% | rising |
| 6 | Egypt | 24.2% | 2015 | up 19.9% | rising |
| 7 | Brazil | 24.1% | 2023 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 24.0% | 2021 | up 39.0% | rising |
| 9 | India | 23.2% | 2022 | up 19.4% | rising |
| 10 | Barbados | 22.5% | 2016 | up 57.4% | rising |
| 11 | Jamaica | 22.0% | 2020 | down 42.9% | falling |
| 12 | Gabon | 20.4% | 2021 | up 234.4% | rising |
| 13 | Seychelles | 19.7% | 2008 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 14 | Uganda | 19.5% | 2023 | up 58.2% | rising |
| 15 | Bahrain | 18.9% | 2020 | up 292.9% | volatile |
| 16 | Bahamas | 18.4% | 2023 | up 53.2% | rising |
| 17 | Dominican Republic | 17.5% | 2023 | up 19.6% | volatile |
| 18 | Laos | 17.0% | 2022 | up 157.8% | rising |
| 19 | Costa Rica | 16.7% | 2023 | up 77.6% | rising |
| 20 | Jordan | 16.5% | 2023 | up 43.9% | falling |
| 21 | Kenya | 16.4% | 2023 | up 52.7% | rising |
| 22 | Togo | 16.2% | 2023 | up 140.4% | rising |
| 23 | Saint Lucia | 16.1% | 2017 | down 4.4% | rising |
| 24 | Mexico | 15.8% | 2023 | up 50.5% | volatile |
| 25 | Philippines | 15.3% | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 26 | Lebanon | 15.2% | 2021 | down 57.2% | falling |
| 27 | Malaysia | 14.9% | 2023 | up 50.8% | falling |
| 28 | Guinea-Bissau | 14.9% | 2023 | up 222.2% | rising |
| 29 | Iceland | 14.7% | 2023 | down 34.9% | rising |
| 30 | Fiji | 14.6% | 2023 | up 5.3% | flat |
| 31 | South Africa | 14.3% | 2022 | up 64.2% | rising |
| 32 | Cote d'Ivoire | 14.1% | 2023 | up 38.1% | falling |
| 33 | Namibia | 14.1% | 2023 | up 229.1% | rising |
| 34 | El Salvador | 14.1% | 2023 | up 32.7% | rising |
| 35 | Panama | 13.4% | 2021 | down 3.8% | flat |
| 36 | Senegal | 13.2% | 2023 | up 60.9% | rising |
| 37 | Colombia | 13.2% | 2023 | up 79.2% | falling |
| 38 | United States | 12.9% | 2023 | up 68.9% | falling |
| 39 | Armenia | 12.7% | 2023 | up 181.2% | volatile |
| 40 | Tanzania | 12.6% | 2024 | up 70.8% | rising |
| 41 | Papua New Guinea | 12.3% | 2023 | up 63.6% | falling |
| 42 | Guatemala | 12.0% | 2023 | up 0.7% | flat |
| 43 | Burkina Faso | 11.9% | 2023 | up 181.2% | rising |
| 44 | Congo | 11.5% | 2021 | up 707.3% | volatile |
| 45 | Mozambique | 11.3% | 2022 | up 188.5% | rising |
| 46 | Turkey | 11.0% | 2023 | up 48.0% | volatile |
| 47 | Indonesia | 10.9% | 2009 | down 54.4% | volatile |
| 48 | Niger | 10.4% | 1980 | — | rising |
| 49 | Belize | 10.3% | 2017 | down 43.1% | rising |
| 50 | Myanmar | 10.2% | 2019 | down 18.9% | flat |
| 51 | Zimbabwe | 10.0% | 2018 | up 332.1% | volatile |
| 52 | Honduras | 10.0% | 2020 | up 165.2% | rising |
| 53 | Equatorial Guinea | 9.9% | 2022 | up 157.9% | volatile |
| 54 | Rwanda | 9.8% | 2023 | up 121.6% | falling |
| 55 | Trinidad and Tobago | 9.6% | 2019 | up 9.6% | falling |
| 56 | Bolivia | 9.5% | 2007 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 57 | Nicaragua | 9.2% | 2023 | up 49.8% | falling |
| 58 | Ethiopia | 9.0% | 2023 | up 154.6% | volatile |
| 59 | Maldives | 8.8% | 2021 | up 10.6% | rising |
| 60 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 8.8% | 2017 | down 26.2% | falling |
| 61 | Cape Verde | 8.8% | 2020 | up 10.9% | rising |
| 62 | Paraguay | 8.8% | 2023 | up 403.0% | rising |
| 63 | Kazakhstan | 8.7% | 2023 | up 194.6% | flat |
| 64 | Mali | 8.5% | 2020 | up 199.7% | rising |
| 65 | Mauritius | 8.4% | 2023 | up 7.9% | falling |
| 66 | Morocco | 7.9% | 2023 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 67 | Albania | 7.8% | 2023 | down 40.7% | falling |
| 68 | Cameroon | 7.8% | 2021 | up 198.5% | volatile |
| 69 | United Kingdom | 7.8% | 2023 | up 5.9% | falling |
| 70 | Israel | 7.7% | 2023 | down 18.6% | falling |
| 71 | Italy | 7.6% | 2023 | down 29.0% | falling |
| 72 | Canada | 7.6% | 2023 | down 9.2% | volatile |
| 73 | Eswatini | 7.6% | 2021 | up 127.1% | rising |
| 74 | Argentina | 7.3% | 2023 | down 6.0% | volatile |
| 75 | Greece | 7.3% | 2023 | up 5.3% | flat |
| 76 | Hungary | 6.6% | 2022 | down 32.6% | rising |
| 77 | Tajikistan | 6.4% | 2023 | — | rising |
| 78 | Uruguay | 6.4% | 2023 | down 16.3% | volatile |
| 79 | Madagascar | 6.3% | 2023 | up 31.5% | volatile |
| 80 | Peru | 6.1% | 2021 | down 6.1% | volatile |
| 81 | Mongolia | 6.0% | 2021 | up 418.2% | volatile |
| 82 | Spain | 5.9% | 2023 | down 29.3% | volatile |
| 83 | San Marino | 5.9% | 2023 | up 830.1% | volatile |
| 84 | Georgia | 5.9% | 2023 | up 80.3% | volatile |
| 85 | Ukraine | 5.8% | 2023 | down 0.7% | volatile |
| 86 | Portugal | 5.7% | 2023 | down 45.7% | falling |
| 87 | Thailand | 5.5% | 2023 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 88 | Belarus | 5.4% | 2023 | up 87.9% | volatile |
| 89 | Central African Republic | 5.2% | 2021 | up 14.6% | volatile |
| 90 | Tunisia | 5.1% | 2012 | down 52.9% | rising |
| 91 | Moldova | 5.1% | 2023 | up 233.5% | volatile |
| 92 | Poland | 4.8% | 2023 | down 27.2% | volatile |
| 93 | Sudan | 4.8% | 2016 | down 21.0% | falling |
| 94 | Ecuador | 4.7% | 2022 | up 100.6% | rising |
| 95 | South Korea | 4.4% | 2023 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 96 | Chile | 4.3% | 2023 | up 48.4% | volatile |
| 97 | North Macedonia | 4.3% | 2023 | up 32.2% | rising |
| 98 | Croatia | 4.2% | 2023 | down 49.6% | rising |
| 99 | Nepal | 4.1% | 2021 | down 28.7% | falling |
| 100 | Botswana | 4.0% | 2023 | up 107.5% | falling |
| 101 | Serbia | 4.0% | 2022 | down 12.4% | rising |
| 102 | Lesotho | 4.0% | 2022 | up 98.1% | volatile |
| 103 | Romania | 3.9% | 2022 | down 36.3% | volatile |
| 104 | Saudi Arabia | 3.4% | 2023 | up 442.4% | volatile |
| 105 | France | 3.4% | 2023 | down 24.9% | rising |
| 106 | Burundi | 3.3% | 2021 | down 42.6% | falling |
| 108 | Belgium | 3.2% | 2022 | down 54.9% | falling |
| 109 | Kyrgyzstan | 3.2% | 2023 | up 7.3% | falling |
| 110 | Czechia | 3.1% | 2022 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 112 | Cyprus | 3.1% | 2023 | down 57.1% | falling |
| 113 | Australia | 3.0% | 2022 | down 10.3% | falling |
| 114 | New Zealand | 3.0% | 2022 | down 37.5% | volatile |
| 115 | Vanuatu | 3.0% | 2023 | down 16.2% | flat |
| 116 | Uzbekistan | 2.9% | 2023 | up 1,954.6% | volatile |
| 117 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2.9% | 2020 | down 88.1% | rising |
| 118 | Slovenia | 2.8% | 2023 | down 40.6% | rising |
| 119 | Slovakia | 2.7% | 2022 | down 41.6% | falling |
| 120 | Austria | 2.5% | 2023 | down 53.0% | falling |
| 121 | Russia | 2.4% | 2020 | up 50.7% | volatile |
| 122 | United Arab Emirates | 2.3% | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 123 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2.1% | 2023 | up 17.5% | rising |
| 124 | Cambodia | 2.1% | 2023 | down 25.2% | flat |
| 125 | Azerbaijan | 2.1% | 2022 | up 176.2% | volatile |
| 126 | Finland | 2.0% | 2023 | down 36.5% | volatile |
| 127 | Bhutan | 1.9% | 2020 | down 82.9% | volatile |
| 128 | Latvia | 1.9% | 2023 | down 61.1% | flat |
| 129 | Tonga | 1.7% | 2023 | down 48.7% | falling |
| 130 | Samoa | 1.7% | 2023 | down 43.5% | falling |
| 131 | Netherlands | 1.6% | 2023 | down 55.2% | volatile |
| 132 | Norway | 1.6% | 2023 | up 15.8% | volatile |
| 133 | Lithuania | 1.5% | 2023 | down 73.9% | volatile |
| 134 | Denmark | 1.4% | 2023 | down 59.0% | volatile |
| 135 | Sweden | 1.4% | 2022 | down 39.9% | volatile |
| 136 | Germany | 1.4% | 2022 | down 72.4% | falling |
| 137 | Bulgaria | 1.3% | 2023 | down 41.4% | volatile |
| 138 | Solomon Islands | 1.3% | 2022 | up 52.6% | rising |
| 139 | Switzerland | 1.0% | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 140 | Estonia | 1.0% | 2023 | up 189.2% | volatile |
| 141 | Kiribati | 0.8% | 2023 | down 48.4% | volatile |
| 142 | Iran | 0.7% | 2009 | up 992,558.0% | volatile |
| 143 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.7% | 2022 | down 74.6% | volatile |
| 145 | Micronesia (country) | 0.6% | 2020 | down 50.5% | falling |
| 146 | Palau | 0.5% | 2020 | down 31.0% | falling |
| 147 | Marshall Islands | 0.5% | 2020 | down 54.7% | falling |
| 148 | Singapore | 0.4% | 2023 | up 7,960.4% | volatile |
| 149 | Afghanistan | 0.1% | 2017 | up 48.0% | volatile |
| 150 | East Timor | 0.1% | 2022 | up 274,115.0% | volatile |
| 151 | Kuwait | 0.1% | 2006 | down 97.5% | volatile |
| 152 | Iraq | 0.0% | 2019 | down 99.2% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- South Asia 32.3%
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 32.3%
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 13.2%
- Latin America & Caribbean 12.6%
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 12.6%
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 11.9%
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 11.9%
- Early-demographic dividend 11.0%
- Africa Western and Central 10.5%
- Pre-demographic dividend 10.4%
- North America 10.3%
- Lower middle income 10.2%
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 as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.