Interest payments in New Zealand

New Zealand: Interest payments was 4.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4.7%
Change on year
up 11.3%
World rank
95th
of 155 countries
All-time high
19.7%
in 1986
All-time low
1.9%
in 2008
Years of data
41
1972–2024

Interest payments in New Zealand, 1972–2024

051015201972199820241972: 8.6 % of revenue1973: 7.6 % of revenue1974: 7.1 % of revenue1975: 7.7 % of revenue1976: 8.6 % of revenue1977: 9 % of revenue1978: 10.5 % of revenue1979: 11.1 % of revenue1980: 11.3 % of revenue1981: 12.3 % of revenue1982: 13.2 % of revenue1983: 17.2 % of revenue1984: 18.5 % of revenue1985: 19.5 % of revenue1986: 19.7 % of revenue1987: 18.6 % of revenue1988: 16.6 % of revenue2001: 6 % of revenue2002: 4.9 % of revenue2003: 5 % of revenue2004: 4.7 % of revenue2005: 4.5 % of revenue2006: 3.9 % of revenue2007: 3.4 % of revenue2008: 1.9 % of revenue2009: 3.3 % of revenue2010: 3.8 % of revenue2011: 4.5 % of revenue2012: 5 % of revenue2013: 5 % of revenue2014: 4.5 % of revenue2015: 4.4 % of revenue2016: 4 % of revenue2017: 3.8 % of revenue2018: 3.6 % of revenue2019: 3.3 % of revenue2020: 3.1 % of revenue2021: 2.8 % of revenue2022: 3.2 % of revenue2023: 4.2 % of revenue2024: 4.7 % of revenue

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for interest payments in New Zealand is 4.7%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.3% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in New Zealand peaked at 19.7% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2008.

New Zealand ranks 95th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Interest payments in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Interest payments (% of revenue) in New Zealand, 1972 to 2024.
Year % of revenue Change
1972 8.6%
1973 7.6% -11.9%
1974 7.1% -7.0%
1975 7.7% +9.1%
1976 8.6% +11.1%
1977 9.0% +5.0%
1978 10.5% +16.1%
1979 11.1% +6.2%
1980 11.3% +2.0%
1981 12.3% +8.9%
1982 13.2% +6.7%
1983 17.2% +30.6%
1984 18.5% +7.4%
1985 19.5% +5.8%
1986 19.7% +0.7%
1987 18.6% -5.4%
1988 16.6% -10.7%
2001 6.0% -64.2%
2002 4.9% -18.5%
2003 5.0% +3.2%
2004 4.7% -5.9%
2005 4.5% -4.4%
2006 3.9% -14.6%
2007 3.4% -11.1%
2008 1.9% -43.2%
2009 3.3% +70.5%
2010 3.8% +14.7%
2011 4.5% +17.8%
2012 5.0% +11.9%
2013 5.0% -0.6%
2014 4.5% -10.5%
2015 4.4% -1.8%
2016 4.0% -7.8%
2017 3.8% -6.6%
2018 3.6% -5.7%
2019 3.3% -7.5%
2020 3.1% -6.2%
2021 2.8% -9.8%
2022 3.2% +15.1%
2023 4.2% +30.4%
2024 4.7% +11.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 8.8% 7.1% 11.1% 8
1980s 16.3% 11.3% 19.7% 9
2000s 4.2% 1.9% 6.0% 9
2010s 4.2% 3.3% 5.0% 10
2020s 3.6% 2.8% 4.7% 5

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 92 San Marino 5.0% compare
  2. 93 Madagascar 4.8% compare
  3. 94 Ecuador 4.7% compare
  4. 96 Belgium 4.5% compare
  5. 97 Mongolia 4.3% compare
  6. 98 France 4.2% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in New Zealand?
Interest payments in New Zealand was 4.7% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 1986.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2008.
How does New Zealand rank for interest payments?
New Zealand ranks 95th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
Is interest payments rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand 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 New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/interest-payments-percent-of-revenue/new-zealand/

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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.