Interest payments in Finland

Finland: Interest payments was 2.0% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
2.0%
Change on year
up 54.0%
World rank
126th
of 152 countries
All-time high
10.1%
in 1994
All-time low
0.9%
in 1976
Years of data
52
1972–2023

Interest payments in Finland, 1972–2023

0246810197219972023

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

Analysis

Finland recorded 2.0% for interest payments in 2023.

The figure is up 54.0% on the previous year and down 36.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Finland peaked at 10.1% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1976.

Finland ranks 126th of 152 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Interest payments in Finland, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in Finland, 1972 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1972 2.2%
1973 2.0% -8.5%
1974 1.3% -35.0%
1975 1.0% -25.3%
1976 0.9% -6.7%
1977 1.2% +35.7%
1978 1.6% +27.2%
1979 2.2% +36.3%
1980 2.4% +9.6%
1981 2.7% +13.5%
1982 3.1% +16.3%
1983 3.8% +22.7%
1984 4.4% +15.2%
1985 4.7% +7.1%
1986 4.3% -8.2%
1987 4.1% -4.9%
1988 4.1% -0.2%
1989 3.6% -12.9%
1990 3.1% -13.3%
1991 3.3% +4.7%
1992 4.2% +30.2%
1993 8.4% +98.7%
1994 10.1% +20.6%
1995 7.5% -25.9%
1996 8.8% +16.6%
1997 9.8% +12.3%
1998 8.9% -9.7%
1999 7.8% -12.6%
2000 7.7% -0.4%
2001 7.4% -4.5%
2002 5.8% -21.7%
2003 5.1% -11.2%
2004 4.8% -7.2%
2005 4.4% -8.4%
2006 4.0% -8.6%
2007 3.8% -4.0%
2008 3.6% -5.0%
2009 3.2% -11.0%
2010 3.5% +6.6%
2011 3.6% +3.1%
2012 3.6% +0.8%
2013 3.2% -12.2%
2014 3.1% -2.8%
2015 2.9% -6.6%
2016 2.7% -4.9%
2017 2.6% -6.3%
2018 2.4% -6.0%
2019 2.1% -11.8%
2020 1.5% -29.2%
2021 1.1% -23.5%
2022 1.3% +13.5%
2023 2.0% +54.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.6% 0.9% 2.2% 8
1980s 3.7% 2.4% 4.7% 10
1990s 7.2% 3.1% 10.1% 10
2000s 5.0% 3.2% 7.7% 10
2010s 2.9% 2.1% 3.6% 10
2020s 1.5% 1.1% 2.0% 4

Countries ranked near Finland

  1. 123 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.1% compare
  2. 124 Cambodia 2.1% compare
  3. 125 Azerbaijan 2.1% compare
  4. 127 Bhutan 1.9% compare
  5. 128 Latvia 1.9% compare
  6. 129 Tonga 1.7% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for Finland

All data for Finland →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Finland?
Interest payments in Finland was 2.0% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Finland?
The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 1994.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Finland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1976.
How does Finland rank for interest payments?
Finland ranks 126th out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Finland?
Over the last ten years it is down 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Finland 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 Finland. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/finland/

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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.