Interest payments in European Union

European Union: Interest payments was 2.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
2.9%
Change on year
up 1.5%
Rank
37th
of 41 groups
All-time high
10.5%
in 1997
All-time low
2.6%
in 1975
Years of data
49
1975–2024

Interest payments in European Union, 1975–2024

246810197519992024

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

Analysis

In 2024, interest payments in European Union stood at 2.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 46.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in European Union peaked at 10.5% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1975.

European Union ranks 37th of 41 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.

Interest payments in European Union, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of revenue) in European Union, 1975 to 2024.
Year % of revenue Change
1975 2.6%
1976 3.2% +23.1%
1978 4.1% +29.8%
1979 5.1% +24.0%
1980 6.3% +23.5%
1981 5.1% -17.9%
1982 6.0% +17.6%
1983 6.8% +12.6%
1984 7.4% +8.5%
1985 8.9% +20.5%
1986 9.4% +5.5%
1987 9.6% +1.9%
1988 9.5% -0.3%
1989 9.7% +1.1%
1990 10.3% +6.5%
1991 8.3% -19.7%
1992 9.7% +17.3%
1993 9.6% -1.1%
1994 9.9% +3.6%
1995 10.0% +1.3%
1996 9.5% -5.0%
1997 10.5% +10.0%
1998 9.6% -8.6%
1999 8.2% -14.2%
2000 7.9% -4.4%
2001 7.2% -8.9%
2002 6.9% -4.1%
2003 6.0% -13.3%
2004 5.7% -4.0%
2005 5.0% -12.5%
2006 4.4% -12.7%
2007 4.4% +0.1%
2008 4.3% -1.6%
2009 5.4% +25.9%
2010 5.4% -0.6%
2011 5.7% +5.3%
2012 6.0% +5.7%
2013 5.8% -3.0%
2014 5.4% -6.6%
2015 5.0% -8.0%
2016 4.7% -6.0%
2017 4.0% -13.8%
2018 3.8% -5.3%
2019 3.4% -10.2%
2020 3.3% -3.0%
2021 2.9% -12.5%
2022 3.0% +1.2%
2023 2.9% -3.1%
2024 2.9% +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.7% 2.6% 5.1% 4
1980s 7.9% 5.1% 9.7% 10
1990s 9.6% 8.2% 10.5% 10
2000s 5.7% 4.3% 7.9% 10
2010s 4.9% 3.4% 6.0% 10
2020s 3.0% 2.9% 3.3% 5

Countries ranked near European Union

  1. 34 Togo 14.0% compare
  2. 35 Colombia 13.9% compare
  3. 36 Tanzania, United Republic of 13.9% compare
  4. 37 Fiji 13.9% compare
  5. 38 Saint Lucia 13.6% compare
  6. 39 Zimbabwe 13.5% compare
  7. 40 Trinidad and Tobago 13.2% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for European Union

All data for European Union →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in European Union?
Interest payments in European Union was 2.9% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in European Union?
The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 1997.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in European Union?
The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1975.
How does European Union rank for interest payments?
European Union ranks 37th out of 41 groups with data for 2024.
Is interest payments rising or falling in European Union?
Over the last ten years it is down 46.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this European Union 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 revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Interest payments in European Union. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-revenue/european-union/

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (% of revenue)
Unit
% of revenue
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,564 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 a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.