Interest payments in Spain
Spain: Interest payments was 5.9% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Interest payments in Spain, 1972–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2023, interest payments in Spain stood at 5.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in Spain peaked at 12.5% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1981.
That places Spain 82nd out of 152 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest payments in Spain, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 2.7% | — |
| 1973 | 3.0% | +12.4% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | -22.2% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | -13.3% |
| 1976 | 1.8% | -11.3% |
| 1977 | 1.9% | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 2.0% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 2.0% | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | -52.6% |
| 1981 | 0.9% | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 1.5% | +54.5% |
| 1983 | 4.0% | +174.5% |
| 1984 | 6.0% | +49.2% |
| 1985 | 9.3% | +55.0% |
| 1986 | 10.4% | +11.9% |
| 1987 | 9.3% | -10.9% |
| 1988 | 9.3% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 9.0% | -3.8% |
| 1990 | 9.3% | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 10.2% | +9.0% |
| 1992 | 10.2% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 11.5% | +12.0% |
| 1994 | 12.5% | +8.6% |
| 2004 | 6.1% | -51.0% |
| 2005 | 5.3% | -13.8% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | -9.6% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 4.1% | -8.0% |
| 2009 | 4.1% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 4.7% | +13.5% |
| 2011 | 6.0% | +28.8% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | +34.5% |
| 2014 | 9.2% | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | -13.6% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 7.1% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 6.2% | -8.4% |
| 2020 | 4.9% | -21.0% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 5.9% | +19.4% |
| 2023 | 5.9% | +0.5% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 5.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.3%, 1.8× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Spain's 5.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.3%, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Interest payments in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +174.5% | 1.5% | 4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.2% | 1.8% | 3.0% | 8 |
| 1980s | 6.1% | 0.9% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.7% | 9.3% | 12.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 4.1% | 6.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 7.0% | 4.7% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More public sector data for Spain
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
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- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
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- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is interest payments in Spain?
- Interest payments in Spain was 5.9% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest payments recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 12.5% in 1994.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1981.
- How does Spain rank for interest payments?
- Spain ranks 82nd out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Spain 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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About this data
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.