Interest payments in Canada

Canada: Interest payments was 7.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
7.6%
Change on year
up 26.1%
World rank
72nd
of 152 countries
All-time high
25.1%
in 1990
All-time low
3.7%
in 2020
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Interest payments in Canada, 1990–2023

5101520251990200620231990: 25.1 % of expense1991: 23.2 % of expense1992: 21.7 % of expense1993: 21 % of expense1994: 21.5 % of expense1995: 23.9 % of expense1996: 23.8 % of expense1997: 23.7 % of expense1998: 23.3 % of expense1999: 22.1 % of expense2000: 22 % of expense2001: 19.7 % of expense2002: 17.3 % of expense2003: 15.7 % of expense2004: 14.7 % of expense2005: 12.8 % of expense2006: 12.8 % of expense2007: 11.9 % of expense2008: 10.8 % of expense2009: 9.4 % of expense2010: 8.9 % of expense2011: 9.1 % of expense2012: 8.5 % of expense2013: 8.4 % of expense2014: 7.7 % of expense2015: 7 % of expense2016: 6.4 % of expense2017: 5.9 % of expense2018: 6.3 % of expense2019: 6.2 % of expense2020: 3.7 % of expense2021: 4.4 % of expense2022: 6 % of expense2023: 7.6 % of expense

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for interest payments in Canada is 7.6%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.1% on the previous year and down 9.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, interest payments in Canada peaked at 25.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2020.

That places Canada 72nd out of 152 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 22.9% 21.0% 25.1% 10
2000s 14.7% 9.4% 22.0% 10
2010s 7.4% 5.9% 9.1% 10
2020s 5.4% 3.7% 7.6% 4

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 69 United Kingdom 7.8% compare
  2. 70 Israel 7.7% compare
  3. 71 Italy 7.6% compare
  4. 73 Eswatini 7.6% compare
  5. 74 Argentina 7.3% compare
  6. 75 Greece 7.3% compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More public sector data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is interest payments in Canada?
Interest payments in Canada was 7.6% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest interest payments recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 25.1% in 1990.
What is the lowest interest payments recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2020.
How does Canada rank for interest payments?
Canada ranks 72nd out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
Is interest payments rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada 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 expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
193 places, 5,277 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 percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.