Interest payments in South Asia

South Asia: Interest payments was 32.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
32.3%
Change on year
up 34.3%
Rank
1st
of 39 groups
All-time high
32.3%
in 2022
All-time low
17.7%
in 2011
Years of data
33
1990–2022

Interest payments in South Asia, 1990–2022

01020301990200620221990: 24.2 % of expense1991: 23.9 % of expense1992: 25.3 % of expense1993: 25.7 % of expense1994: 27.3 % of expense1995: 24.7 % of expense1996: 26.8 % of expense1997: 27.2 % of expense1998: 26.7 % of expense1999: 28 % of expense2000: 27.1 % of expense2001: 28.1 % of expense2002: 28.7 % of expense2003: 27.6 % of expense2004: 22.6 % of expense2005: 23.4 % of expense2006: 22.6 % of expense2007: 22.2 % of expense2008: 22.9 % of expense2009: 21.8 % of expense2010: 19.2 % of expense2011: 17.7 % of expense2012: 19.7 % of expense2013: 20.3 % of expense2014: 21.6 % of expense2015: 21.7 % of expense2016: 20.3 % of expense2017: 19.9 % of expense2018: 20.3 % of expense2019: 20.5 % of expense2020: 22.6 % of expense2021: 24 % of expense2022: 32.3 % of expense

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

Analysis

South Asia recorded 32.3% for interest payments in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 34.3% on the previous year and up 63.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in South Asia peaked at 32.3% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 17.7%, in 2011.

That places South Asia 1st out of 39 groups with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.

Interest payments in South Asia, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in South Asia, 1990 to 2022.
Year % of expense Change
1990 24.2%
1991 23.9% -1.3%
1992 25.3% +6.0%
1993 25.7% +1.3%
1994 27.3% +6.4%
1995 24.7% -9.4%
1996 26.8% +8.4%
1997 27.2% +1.3%
1998 26.7% -1.6%
1999 28.0% +4.7%
2000 27.1% -3.1%
2001 28.1% +3.7%
2002 28.7% +2.0%
2003 27.6% -3.7%
2004 22.6% -18.3%
2005 23.4% +3.6%
2006 22.6% -3.4%
2007 22.2% -1.7%
2008 22.9% +3.2%
2009 21.8% -4.9%
2010 19.2% -12.0%
2011 17.7% -7.4%
2012 19.7% +11.1%
2013 20.3% +3.2%
2014 21.6% +6.1%
2015 21.7% +0.6%
2016 20.3% -6.4%
2017 19.9% -2.2%
2018 20.3% +2.0%
2019 20.5% +1.2%
2020 22.6% +10.0%
2021 24.0% +6.5%
2022 32.3% +34.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 26.0% 23.9% 28.0% 10
2000s 24.7% 21.8% 28.7% 10
2010s 20.1% 17.7% 21.7% 10
2020s 26.3% 22.6% 32.3% 3

Countries ranked near South Asia

  1. 1 Sri Lanka 49.4% compare
  2. 2 Ghana 32.8% compare
  3. 3 Angola 31.9% compare
  4. 4 Zambia 26.5% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for South Asia

All data for South Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in South Asia?
Interest payments in South Asia was 32.3% in 2022, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in South Asia?
The highest recorded value was 32.3% in 2022.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in South Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 17.7% in 2011.
How does South Asia rank for interest payments?
South Asia ranks 1st out of 39 groups with data for 2022.
Is interest payments rising or falling in South Asia?
Over the last ten years it is up 63.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Asia 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 South Asia. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/south-asia/

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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.