Interest payments (% of expense) in India

India: Interest payments (% of expense) was 23.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
23.2%
World rank
9th
of 152 countries
All-time high
29.6%
in 2000
All-time low
11.2%
in 1975
Years of data
46
1974–2022

Interest payments in India, 1974–2022

0102030197419982022

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 India is 23.2%, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 19.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in India peaked at 29.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 11.2%, in 1975.

That places India 9th out of 152 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.

Interest payments (% of expense) in India, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in India, 1974 to 2022.
Year % of expense Change
1974 11.3% —
1975 11.2% -1.3%
1976 12.2% +9.7%
1977 12.3% +0.1%
1978 13.2% +7.4%
1979 12.4% -5.7%
1980 13.1% +5.4%
1981 14.1% +7.3%
1982 15.2% +8.2%
1983 16.4% +7.6%
1984 17.0% +4.1%
1985 17.3% +1.7%
1986 17.7% +2.2%
1987 18.8% +5.9%
1988 20.0% +6.8%
1989 21.0% +4.7%
1990 22.4% +6.6%
1991 24.6% +9.9%
1992 25.3% +2.8%
1993 26.0% +3.0%
1994 27.6% +6.3%
1995 27.4% -0.7%
1996 28.1% +2.5%
1997 27.1% -3.6%
1998 28.7% +5.7%
1999 29.5% +2.9%
2000 29.6% +0.5%
2001 29.3% -1.3%
2002 28.7% -2.0%
2003 27.6% -3.7%
2004 25.6% -7.1%
2005 23.4% -8.8%
2006 22.6% -3.4%
2007 22.2% -1.7%
2008 19.7% -11.1%
2009 19.4% -1.8%
2010 18.3% -5.6%
2011 18.2% -0.5%
2012 19.5% +6.9%
2013 19.5% +0.2%
2014 21.2% +9.0%
2015 20.7% -2.5%
2016 20.4% -1.6%
2017 19.8% -2.7%
2018 19.4% -2.2%
2022 23.2% +19.7%

India compared with similar countries

  • India's 23.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.0%, 2.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • India's 23.2% is above the median for South Asia, which is 16.0%, 1.4× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 12.1% 11.2% 13.2% 6
1980s 17.1% 13.1% 21.0% 10
1990s 26.7% 22.4% 29.5% 10
2000s 24.8% 19.4% 29.6% 10
2010s 19.7% 18.2% 21.2% 9
2020s 23.2% 23.2% 23.2% 1

Countries ranked near India

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

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in India?
Interest payments in India was 23.2% in 2022, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 29.6% in 2000.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 11.2% in 1975.
How does India rank for interest payments?
India ranks 9th out of 152 countries with data for 2022.
Is interest payments rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India 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 India. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/india/

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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.