Interest payments in High income

High income: Interest payments was 3.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.4%
Change on year
up 7.2%
Rank
35th
of 39 groups
All-time high
10.2%
in 1988
All-time low
2.8%
in 2021
Years of data
50
1974–2023

Interest payments in High income, 1974–2023

246810197419982023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for interest payments in High income is 3.4%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 7.2% on the previous year and down 35.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in High income peaked at 10.2% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2021.

That places High income 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.

Interest payments in High income, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in High income, 1974 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1974 3.3%
1975 3.9% +17.2%
1976 4.5% +14.6%
1977 5.2% +16.7%
1978 5.8% +11.2%
1979 6.7% +15.3%
1980 7.2% +8.2%
1981 7.4% +2.7%
1982 6.8% -8.5%
1983 7.0% +3.8%
1984 8.0% +12.9%
1985 9.3% +16.7%
1986 10.1% +8.3%
1987 9.2% -8.9%
1988 10.2% +10.9%
1989 9.2% -9.5%
1990 9.7% +5.5%
1991 9.4% -2.7%
1992 9.1% -3.9%
1993 8.4% -7.3%
1994 9.3% +10.1%
1995 8.0% -13.7%
1996 7.2% -10.3%
1997 9.2% +28.5%
1998 8.7% -5.6%
1999 7.8% -10.7%
2000 7.5% -3.4%
2001 7.3% -2.8%
2002 6.2% -14.5%
2003 5.7% -8.0%
2004 5.4% -6.3%
2005 5.1% -5.7%
2006 4.8% -6.1%
2007 4.8% +1.4%
2008 4.6% -3.7%
2009 4.5% -2.2%
2010 4.6% +2.0%
2011 5.2% +12.3%
2012 5.7% +9.9%
2013 5.3% -7.4%
2014 5.2% -1.3%
2015 5.0% -5.3%
2016 4.6% -6.9%
2017 4.2% -9.1%
2018 4.0% -3.7%
2019 3.7% -9.2%
2020 3.0% -17.9%
2021 2.8% -7.6%
2022 3.2% +14.3%
2023 3.4% +7.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.9% 3.3% 6.7% 6
1980s 8.4% 6.8% 10.2% 10
1990s 8.7% 7.2% 9.7% 10
2000s 5.6% 4.5% 7.5% 10
2010s 4.8% 3.7% 5.7% 10
2020s 3.1% 2.8% 3.4% 4

Countries ranked near High income

  1. 32 Cote d'Ivoire 14.1% compare
  2. 33 Namibia 14.1% compare
  3. 34 El Salvador 14.1% compare
  4. 35 Panama 13.4% compare
  5. 36 Senegal 13.2% compare
  6. 37 Colombia 13.2% compare
  7. 38 United States 12.9% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for High income

All data for High income →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in High income?
Interest payments in High income was 3.4% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in High income?
The highest recorded value was 10.2% in 1988.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in High income?
The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2021.
How does High income rank for interest payments?
High income ranks 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2023.
Is interest payments rising or falling in High income?
Over the last ten years it is down 35.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this High income 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 High income. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/high-income/

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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.