Interest payments (% of revenue) in United States
United States: Interest payments (% of revenue) was 20.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Interest payments in United States, 1972–2024
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 United States is 20.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
The figure is up 12.6% on the previous year and up 115.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest payments in United States peaked at 20.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.4%, in 1973.
That places United States 17th out of 155 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Interest payments (% of revenue) in United States, year by year
| Year | % of revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 6.9% | — |
| 1973 | 6.4% | -7.2% |
| 1974 | 8.3% | +28.9% |
| 1975 | 8.4% | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 9.2% | +9.6% |
| 1977 | 9.0% | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 8.2% | -8.6% |
| 1979 | 9.6% | +17.1% |
| 1980 | 11.2% | +16.6% |
| 1981 | 12.3% | +9.2% |
| 1982 | 14.7% | +19.7% |
| 1983 | 16.4% | +11.5% |
| 1984 | 17.2% | +5.1% |
| 1985 | 19.2% | +11.8% |
| 1986 | 18.8% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 17.2% | -8.6% |
| 1988 | 17.5% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 17.3% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 18.1% | +4.7% |
| 1991 | 18.9% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 18.7% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 17.0% | -9.0% |
| 1994 | 16.1% | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 16.3% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 16.5% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 15.3% | -7.4% |
| 1998 | 14.1% | -7.8% |
| 1999 | 12.7% | -10.2% |
| 2000 | 11.2% | -11.4% |
| 2001 | 12.5% | +11.7% |
| 2002 | 12.0% | -4.3% |
| 2003 | 11.1% | -7.7% |
| 2004 | 10.7% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 11.0% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 10.9% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 11.6% | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 11.2% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 11.2% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 11.4% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 12.5% | +10.1% |
| 2012 | 11.7% | -6.8% |
| 2013 | 9.3% | -20.1% |
| 2014 | 9.4% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 8.8% | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 9.9% | +12.5% |
| 2017 | 9.8% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 12.3% | +25.2% |
| 2019 | 12.8% | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 10.9% | -14.8% |
| 2021 | 11.4% | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 13.4% | +17.9% |
| 2023 | 18.0% | +34.3% |
| 2024 | 20.3% | +12.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 20.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.9%, 5.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.3% | 6.4% | 9.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 16.2% | 11.2% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.4% | 12.7% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.3% | 10.7% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.8% | 8.8% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.8% | 10.9% | 20.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 14 Uganda 21.0% compare
- 15 Guinea-Bissau 21.0% compare
- 16 Bangladesh 20.8% compare
- 18 Mexico 20.0% compare
- 19 Bahamas 20.0% compare
- 20 Dominican Republic 19.3% compare
More public sector data for United States
- 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)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 745.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 3.56 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 52.65 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest payments in United States?
- Interest payments in United States was 20.3% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest payments recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest interest payments recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.4% in 1973.
- How does United States rank for interest payments?
- United States ranks 17th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
- Is interest payments rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 115.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States 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.