Interest payments in High income

High income: Interest payments was 3.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
3.5%
Change on year
down 2.6%
Rank
35th
of 39 groups
All-time high
10.7%
in 1986
All-time low
3.0%
in 1974
Years of data
51
1974–2024

Interest payments in High income, 1974–2024

46810197419992024

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

Analysis

High income recorded 3.5% for interest payments in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 33.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in High income peaked at 10.7% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1974.

High income ranks 35th of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.

Interest payments in High income, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of revenue) in High income, 1974 to 2024.
Year % of revenue Change
1974 3.0%
1975 3.6% +18.3%
1976 4.1% +15.8%
1977 4.7% +12.8%
1978 5.3% +12.6%
1979 6.6% +24.8%
1980 7.3% +11.0%
1981 6.6% -8.8%
1982 6.5% -2.1%
1983 7.2% +10.4%
1984 8.6% +19.3%
1985 9.9% +15.7%
1986 10.7% +7.7%
1987 9.7% -9.2%
1988 9.8% +0.9%
1989 9.7% -1.2%
1990 9.7% -0.0%
1991 8.3% -13.6%
1992 8.2% -1.8%
1993 8.4% +2.5%
1994 9.1% +8.0%
1995 8.9% -2.3%
1996 8.2% -7.2%
1997 9.8% +19.8%
1998 9.2% -6.4%
1999 8.0% -13.1%
2000 7.8% -2.6%
2001 6.9% -11.1%
2002 6.5% -6.4%
2003 6.0% -7.8%
2004 5.6% -6.6%
2005 5.0% -9.8%
2006 4.4% -12.7%
2007 4.4% -0.1%
2008 4.3% -2.0%
2009 5.4% +25.0%
2010 5.2% -2.7%
2011 5.5% +4.8%
2012 5.5% +0.5%
2013 5.5% +0.1%
2014 5.3% -4.5%
2015 5.0% -5.0%
2016 4.7% -6.0%
2017 4.0% -13.8%
2018 3.8% -5.0%
2019 3.7% -4.2%
2020 3.5% -4.6%
2021 3.1% -12.4%
2022 3.2% +4.1%
2023 3.6% +12.9%
2024 3.5% -2.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.5% 3.0% 6.6% 6
1980s 8.6% 6.5% 10.7% 10
1990s 8.8% 8.0% 9.8% 10
2000s 5.6% 4.3% 7.8% 10
2010s 4.8% 3.7% 5.5% 10
2020s 3.4% 3.1% 3.6% 5

Countries ranked near High income

  1. 32 Papua New Guinea 14.2% compare
  2. 33 Seychelles 14.1% compare
  3. 34 Togo 14.0% compare
  4. 35 Colombia 13.9% compare
  5. 36 Tanzania, United Republic of 13.9% compare
  6. 37 Fiji 13.9% compare
  7. 38 Saint Lucia 13.6% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for High income

All data for High income →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in High income?
Interest payments in High income was 3.5% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in High income?
The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 1986.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in High income?
The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1974.
How does High income rank for interest payments?
High income ranks 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
Is interest payments rising or falling in High income?
Over the last ten years it is down 33.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this High 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 revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Interest payments in High income. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-revenue/high-income/

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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.