Interest payments in Least developed countries

Least developed countries: Interest payments was 8.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
8.0%
Change on year
up 10.4%
Rank
25th
of 39 groups
All-time high
8.0%
in 2021
All-time low
3.4%
in 2012
Years of data
10
2010–2021

Interest payments in Least developed countries, 2010–2021

024682010201520212010: 3.7 % of revenue2012: 3.4 % of revenue2014: 3.8 % of revenue2015: 4.9 % of revenue2016: 6.1 % of revenue2017: 5.2 % of revenue2018: 7.7 % of revenue2019: 6.2 % of revenue2020: 7.2 % of revenue2021: 8 % of revenue

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

Analysis

In 2021, interest payments in Least developed countries stood at 8.0%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of up 10.4% on the previous year and up 113.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Least developed countries peaked at 8.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 2012.

That places Least developed countries 25th out of 39 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Interest payments in Least developed countries, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of revenue) in Least developed countries, 2010 to 2021.
Year % of revenue Change
2010 3.7%
2012 3.4% -9.2%
2014 3.8% +11.1%
2015 4.9% +30.0%
2016 6.1% +25.4%
2017 5.2% -15.6%
2018 7.7% +48.4%
2019 6.2% -19.0%
2020 7.2% +16.0%
2021 8.0% +10.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 5.1% 3.4% 7.7% 8
2020s 7.6% 7.2% 8.0% 2

Countries ranked near Least developed countries

  1. 22 Jordan 18.6% compare
  2. 23 South Africa 18.2% compare
  3. 24 Côte d'Ivoire 18.0% compare
  4. 25 Philippines 17.3% compare
  5. 26 Costa Rica 16.6% compare
  6. 27 Malaysia 15.6% compare
  7. 28 Mozambique 15.1% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for Least developed countries

All data for Least developed countries →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Least developed countries?
Interest payments in Least developed countries was 8.0% in 2021, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Least developed countries?
The highest recorded value was 8.0% in 2021.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Least developed countries?
The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 2012.
How does Least developed countries rank for interest payments?
Least developed countries ranks 25th out of 39 groups with data for 2021.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Least developed countries?
Over the last ten years it is up 113.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Least developed countries 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 Least developed countries. 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-revenue/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

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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.