Interest payments in Malaysia

Malaysia: Interest payments was 15.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
15.6%
Change on year
up 5.7%
World rank
27th
of 155 countries
All-time high
16.3%
in 2021
All-time low
8.0%
in 2008
Years of data
29
1996–2024

Interest payments in Malaysia, 1996–2024

0510151996201020241996: 11.5 % of revenue1997: 9.7 % of revenue1998: 12.2 % of revenue1999: 13.4 % of revenue2000: 14.5 % of revenue2001: 12.1 % of revenue2002: 11.6 % of revenue2003: 11.4 % of revenue2004: 11 % of revenue2005: 10.9 % of revenue2006: 10.1 % of revenue2007: 9.2 % of revenue2008: 8 % of revenue2009: 9 % of revenue2010: 9.8 % of revenue2011: 9.6 % of revenue2012: 9.4 % of revenue2013: 9.7 % of revenue2014: 10.2 % of revenue2015: 11.1 % of revenue2016: 12.5 % of revenue2017: 12.6 % of revenue2018: 13.1 % of revenue2019: 12.5 % of revenue2020: 15.3 % of revenue2021: 16.3 % of revenue2022: 14 % of revenue2023: 14.7 % of revenue2024: 15.6 % of revenue

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

Analysis

In 2024, interest payments in Malaysia stood at 15.6%.

That represents a change of up 5.7% on the previous year and up 51.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Malaysia peaked at 16.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 8.0%, in 2008.

Malaysia ranks 27th of 155 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Interest payments in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of revenue) in Malaysia, 1996 to 2024.
Year % of revenue Change
1996 11.5%
1997 9.7% -15.5%
1998 12.2% +25.4%
1999 13.4% +10.2%
2000 14.5% +8.2%
2001 12.1% -17.1%
2002 11.6% -4.0%
2003 11.4% -1.6%
2004 11.0% -3.5%
2005 10.9% -0.6%
2006 10.1% -7.3%
2007 9.2% -8.7%
2008 8.0% -13.2%
2009 9.0% +11.9%
2010 9.8% +9.1%
2011 9.6% -2.3%
2012 9.4% -1.6%
2013 9.7% +3.6%
2014 10.2% +5.1%
2015 11.1% +8.3%
2016 12.5% +12.5%
2017 12.6% +1.4%
2018 13.1% +3.8%
2019 12.5% -5.0%
2020 15.3% +23.1%
2021 16.3% +6.3%
2022 14.0% -13.9%
2023 14.7% +4.9%
2024 15.6% +5.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.7% 9.7% 13.4% 4
2000s 10.8% 8.0% 14.5% 10
2010s 11.0% 9.4% 13.1% 10
2020s 15.2% 14.0% 16.3% 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 24 Côte d'Ivoire 18.0% compare
  2. 25 Philippines 17.3% compare
  3. 26 Costa Rica 16.6% compare
  4. 28 Mozambique 15.1% compare
  5. 29 Iceland 14.9% compare
  6. 30 Namibia 14.7% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Malaysia?
Interest payments in Malaysia was 15.6% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 16.3% in 2021.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 8.0% in 2008.
How does Malaysia rank for interest payments?
Malaysia ranks 27th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 51.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-revenue/malaysia/

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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.