Real interest rate in Canada
Canada: Real interest rate was 0.1% in 2017. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Canada, 1961–2017
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2017, real interest rate in Canada stood at 0.1%.
The figure is down 93.6% on the previous year and down 95.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Canada peaked at 10.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, -4.2%, in 1974.
That places Canada 123rd out of 148 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 1.0% | 4.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.5% | -4.2% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.4% | 3.8% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 3.8% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 0.7% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | -0.2% | 3.7% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More financial sector data for Canada
- Domestic credit to private sector 124.1% (2008)
- Net domestic credit 2.85 trillion current LCU (2008)
- Total reserves in months of imports 1.6 (2025)
- Net foreign assets 11.25 billion current LCU (2008)
- Domestic credit to private sector by banks 124.1% (2008)
- Claims on central government, etc. 15.4% (2008)
- Monetary Sector credit to private sector 124.1% (2008)
- Broad money 122.6% (2008)
- Official exchange rate 1.4 LCU per US$, period average (2025)
- Net migration 326,204 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Canada?
- Real interest rate in Canada was 0.1% in 2017, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.2% in 1974.
- How does Canada rank for real interest rate?
- Canada ranks 123rd out of 148 countries with data for 2017.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 95.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.