Interest payments in Africa Western and Central

Africa Western and Central: Interest payments was 10.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
10.5%
Change on year
up 10.4%
Rank
9th
of 41 groups
All-time high
10.5%
in 2021
All-time low
5.5%
in 2015
Years of data
7
2015–2021

Interest payments in Africa Western and Central, 2015–2021

02.557.5102015201820212015: 5.5 % of expense2016: 7.2 % of expense2017: 8.1 % of expense2018: 8.1 % of expense2019: 8.8 % of expense2020: 9.6 % of expense2021: 10.5 % of expense

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

In 2021, interest payments in Africa Western and Central stood at 10.5%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is up 10.4% on the previous year and up 93.5% over ten years.

Africa Western and Central ranks 9th of 41 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

Interest payments in Africa Western and Central, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in Africa Western and Central, 2015 to 2021.
Year % of expense Change
2015 5.5%
2016 7.2% +32.9%
2017 8.1% +11.9%
2018 8.1% +0.1%
2019 8.8% +8.9%
2020 9.6% +8.1%
2021 10.5% +10.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 7.6% 5.5% 8.8% 5
2020s 10.1% 9.6% 10.5% 2

Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central

  1. 6 Egypt 24.2%
  2. 7 Brazil 24.1% compare
  3. 8 Bangladesh 24.0% compare
  4. 9 India 23.2% compare
  5. 10 Barbados 22.5%
  6. 11 Jamaica 22.0% compare
  7. 12 Gabon 20.4% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for Africa Western and Central

All data for Africa Western and Central →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Africa Western and Central?
Interest payments in Africa Western and Central was 10.5% in 2021, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Africa Western and Central?
The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 2021.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Africa Western and Central?
The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2015.
How does Africa Western and Central rank for interest payments?
Africa Western and Central ranks 9th out of 41 groups with data for 2021.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
Over the last ten years it is up 93.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest payments (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Interest payments in Africa Western and Central. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/africa-western-and-central/

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
193 places, 5,277 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 as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.