Interest payments in Upper middle income

Upper middle income: Interest payments was 8.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
8.8%
Change on year
up 13.1%
Rank
23rd
of 39 groups
All-time high
14.0%
in 1998
All-time low
5.0%
in 2007
Years of data
24
1997–2023

Interest payments in Upper middle income, 1997–2023

0510151997201020231997: 12.5 % of expense1998: 14 % of expense1999: 12.6 % of expense2000: 13 % of expense2003: 12.2 % of expense2004: 11.7 % of expense2006: 7.6 % of expense2007: 5 % of expense2008: 5.4 % of expense2009: 6.4 % of expense2010: 6.7 % of expense2011: 6.5 % of expense2012: 6.1 % of expense2013: 5.9 % of expense2014: 7.4 % of expense2015: 7.4 % of expense2016: 9.8 % of expense2017: 8.6 % of expense2018: 9.6 % of expense2019: 8.9 % of expense2020: 8.3 % of expense2021: 7.9 % of expense2022: 7.7 % of expense2023: 8.8 % of expense

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

Analysis

In 2023, interest payments in Upper middle income stood at 8.8%.

That represents a change of up 13.1% on the previous year and up 47.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Upper middle income peaked at 14.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2007.

Upper middle income ranks 23rd of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Interest payments in Upper middle income, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of expense) in Upper middle income, 1997 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1997 12.5%
1998 14.0% +12.1%
1999 12.6% -9.8%
2000 13.0% +3.5%
2003 12.2% -6.6%
2004 11.7% -3.8%
2006 7.6% -35.2%
2007 5.0% -34.7%
2008 5.4% +9.1%
2009 6.4% +17.2%
2010 6.7% +5.2%
2011 6.5% -3.1%
2012 6.1% -6.1%
2013 5.9% -2.3%
2014 7.4% +24.3%
2015 7.4% -0.1%
2016 9.8% +33.0%
2017 8.6% -12.5%
2018 9.6% +11.7%
2019 8.9% -6.7%
2020 8.3% -7.8%
2021 7.9% -4.7%
2022 7.7% -1.5%
2023 8.8% +13.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.0% 12.5% 14.0% 3
2000s 8.8% 5.0% 13.0% 7
2010s 7.7% 5.9% 9.8% 10
2020s 8.2% 7.7% 8.8% 4

Countries ranked near Upper middle income

  1. 20 Jordan 16.5% compare
  2. 21 Kenya 16.4% compare
  3. 22 Togo 16.2% compare
  4. 23 Saint Lucia 16.1% compare
  5. 24 Mexico 15.8% compare
  6. 25 Philippines 15.3% compare
  7. 26 Lebanon 15.2% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for Upper middle income

All data for Upper middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Upper middle income?
Interest payments in Upper middle income was 8.8% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Upper middle income?
The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 1998.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Upper middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2007.
How does Upper middle income rank for interest payments?
Upper middle income ranks 23rd out of 39 groups with data for 2023.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Upper middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 47.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Upper middle 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 Upper middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/upper-middle-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.