Interest payments in Italy

Italy: Interest payments was 7.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
7.6%
Change on year
down 10.5%
World rank
71st
of 152 countries
All-time high
23.0%
in 1993
All-time low
6.5%
in 1973
Years of data
46
1973–2023

Interest payments in Italy, 1973–2023

510152025197319982023

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

Analysis

In 2023, interest payments in Italy stood at 7.6%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.5% on the previous year and down 29.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Italy peaked at 23.0% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 1973.

That places Italy 71st out of 152 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Interest payments in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in Italy, 1973 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1973 6.5%
1974 7.6% +16.4%
1975 9.1% +19.8%
1976 11.2% +22.4%
1977 11.9% +6.4%
1978 10.0% -15.7%
1979 9.8% -2.3%
1980 10.6% +8.6%
1986 16.6% +56.5%
1987 14.8% -10.9%
1988 17.7% +19.3%
1989 18.9% +7.0%
1990 21.0% +11.0%
1991 21.2% +0.9%
1992 22.4% +5.6%
1993 23.0% +2.8%
1994 22.3% -2.9%
1995 22.8% +1.9%
1996 22.9% +0.4%
1997 20.0% -12.6%
1998 18.9% -5.3%
1999 15.5% -17.9%
2000 15.3% -1.5%
2001 14.9% -2.8%
2002 13.6% -8.7%
2003 12.3% -9.5%
2004 11.8% -3.5%
2005 11.5% -3.2%
2006 10.9% -5.3%
2007 11.5% +6.0%
2008 11.5% -0.2%
2009 9.7% -15.9%
2010 9.8% +1.2%
2011 10.7% +9.4%
2012 11.5% +7.6%
2013 10.8% -6.3%
2014 10.3% -4.3%
2015 9.4% -8.9%
2016 9.0% -4.1%
2017 8.7% -3.2%
2018 8.6% -1.8%
2019 8.0% -7.0%
2020 6.9% -13.7%
2021 7.0% +1.9%
2022 8.5% +22.0%
2023 7.6% -10.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 9.4% 6.5% 11.9% 7
1980s 15.7% 10.6% 18.9% 5
1990s 21.0% 15.5% 23.0% 10
2000s 12.3% 9.7% 15.3% 10
2010s 9.7% 8.0% 11.5% 10
2020s 7.5% 6.9% 8.5% 4

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 68 Cameroon 7.8% compare
  2. 69 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 7.8% compare
  3. 70 Israel 7.7% compare
  4. 72 Canada 7.6% compare
  5. 73 Eswatini 7.6% compare
  6. 74 Argentina 7.3% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Italy?
Interest payments in Italy was 7.6% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 23.0% in 1993.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 1973.
How does Italy rank for interest payments?
Italy ranks 71st out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is down 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Italy 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 Italy. 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/italy/

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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.