Interest payments (% of revenue) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Interest payments (% of revenue) was 8.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Interest payments in United Kingdom, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of revenue.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 8.3% for interest payments in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.3% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in United Kingdom peaked at 11.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2004.
That places United Kingdom 64th out of 155 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Interest payments (% of revenue) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 8.3% | — |
| 1973 | 9.2% | +11.3% |
| 1974 | 8.9% | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 9.2% | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 9.7% | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 9.6% | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 10.9% | +13.4% |
| 1979 | 11.8% | +8.3% |
| 1980 | 11.5% | -2.4% |
| 1981 | 11.5% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 10.2% | -11.0% |
| 1983 | 10.5% | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 10.9% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 10.9% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 11.5% | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 10.7% | -7.0% |
| 1989 | 10.1% | -5.4% |
| 1990 | 8.9% | -12.0% |
| 1991 | 7.5% | -16.1% |
| 1992 | 7.6% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 8.4% | +10.4% |
| 1994 | 9.1% | +8.0% |
| 1995 | 10.1% | +11.0% |
| 1996 | 10.1% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 10.1% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 9.6% | -5.4% |
| 1999 | 8.0% | -16.6% |
| 2000 | 7.5% | -6.7% |
| 2001 | 6.6% | -11.8% |
| 2002 | 6.0% | -9.2% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 5.9% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 6.1% | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 6.2% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 6.7% | +9.1% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 6.2% | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 7.8% | +25.8% |
| 2011 | 9.9% | +26.0% |
| 2012 | 8.9% | -9.9% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 8.4% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 7.3% | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 7.5% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | +8.3% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 6.8% | -10.6% |
| 2020 | 6.1% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | +29.0% |
| 2022 | 11.8% | +49.7% |
| 2023 | 9.1% | -23.3% |
| 2024 | 8.3% | -8.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 8.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.9%, 2.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 8.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.5%, 2.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.7% | 8.3% | 11.8% | 8 |
| 1980s | 10.9% | 10.1% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.9% | 7.5% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.4% | 5.9% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 6.8% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 6.1% | 11.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More public sector data for United Kingdom
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
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- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 9.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is interest payments in United Kingdom?
- Interest payments in United Kingdom was 8.3% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest payments recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 11.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2004.
- How does United Kingdom rank for interest payments?
- United Kingdom ranks 64th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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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About this data
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.