In May 2025, global inflation rates and central bank interest rates showed significant variation across major economies. Most economies initiated interest rate cuts from mid-2024 due to declining inflationary pressures. The U.S., UK, and EU central banks followed a consistent pattern of regular rate reductions throughout late 2024. In early 2025, Russia maintained the highest interest rate at 20 percent, while Japan retained the lowest at 0.5 percent. Varied inflation rates across major economies The inflation landscape varies considerably among major economies. China had the lowest inflation rate at -0.1 percent in May 2025. In contrast, Russia maintained a high inflation rate of 9.9 percent. These figures align with broader trends observed in early 2025, where China had the lowest inflation rate among major developed and emerging economies, while Russia's rate remained the highest. Central bank responses and economic indicators Central banks globally implemented aggressive rate hikes throughout 2022-23 to combat inflation. The European Central Bank exemplified this trend, raising rates from 0 percent in January 2022 to 4.5 percent by September 2023. A coordinated shift among major central banks began in mid-2024, with the ECB, Bank of England, and Federal Reserve initiating rate cuts, with forecasts suggesting further cuts through 2025 and 2026.

As of June 2024, the country with the highest deposit interest rate worldwide was Zimbabwe, where the interest rate was as high as ** percent. Second in the list came Turkey, where the interest rate reached ** percent.

The average for 2023 based on 87 countries was 4.42 percent. The highest value was in Madagascar: 41.3 percent and the lowest value was in Zimbabwe: -73.54 percent. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides values for INTEREST RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

This dataset provides values for INTEREST RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

European Union central banks navigated a complex economic landscape between 2022 and 2025, with interest rates initially rising across member states. However, a pivotal shift occurred in late 2023 as most countries began lowering their rates, reflecting the delicate balance between controlling inflation and supporting economic growth. In the Euro area, the European Central Bank (ECB) led this trend by cutting interest rates from 4.5 percent to 3.15 percent in 2024, implementing four strategic rate reductions throughout the year. This approach was nearly universally adopted, with Poland being the sole EU country not reducing its rates during this period. Global context and policy shifts The interest rate changes in the EU mirror similar movements in other major economies. The United States, United Kingdom, and European Union central banks followed remarkably similar patterns from 2003 to 2024, responding to shared global economic conditions. After maintaining near-zero rates following the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, these institutions sharply raised rates in 2022 to combat surging inflation. By mid-2024, the European Central Bank and Bank of England initiated rate cuts, with the Federal Reserve following suit. Varied approaches within the EU Despite the overall trend, individual EU countries have adopted diverse strategies. Hungary, for instance, set the highest rate in the EU at 13 percent in September 2023, gradually reducing it to 6.5 percent by September 2024. In contrast, Sweden implemented the most aggressive cuts, lowering its rate to 2.25 percent by February 2025, the lowest among EU members. These divergent approaches highlight the unique economic challenges faced by each country and the flexibility required in monetary policy to address specific national circumstances.

As of December 2024, the benchmark interest rate in Laos stood at 10.5 percent. Throughout 2024, the country has had the highest inflation in Southeast Asia. Myanmar followed with a benchmark interest rate of nine percent in 2024.

This statistic presents the average credit card interest rate in Latin America in 2018, sorted by selected countries. The highest interest rate among the countries shown was found in Brazil, with an average interest of 312.9 percent. Argentina came in second, with 107.07 percent.

Developing countries pay the highest interest payments on public debt as a share of their gross domestic product (GDP), with Zambia paying the highest rate at seven percent. Many developing countries rely on public debt to finance key investments, but a high debt burden means that funds need to be allocated to debt repayments.

Argentina AR: Deposit Interest Rate data was reported at 94.997 % pa in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 52.417 % pa for 2022. Argentina AR: Deposit Interest Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 22.725 % pa from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2023, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 94.997 % pa in 2023 and a record low of 9.167 % pa in 2010. Argentina AR: Deposit Interest Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.World Bank.WDI: Interest Rates. Deposit interest rate is the rate paid by commercial or similar banks for demand, time, or savings deposits. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.;International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics and data files.;;

The average for 2023 based on 7 countries was 8.91 percent. The highest value was in Brazil: 37.21 percent and the lowest value was in Argentina: -16.77 percent. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Dominican Republic DO: Deposit Interest Rate data was reported at 7.181 % pa in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.561 % pa for 2015. Dominican Republic DO: Deposit Interest Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 10.348 % pa from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2016, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.117 % pa in 2004 and a record low of 4.856 % pa in 2010. Dominican Republic DO: Deposit Interest Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Dominican Republic – Table DO.World Bank.WDI: Interest Rates. Deposit interest rate is the rate paid by commercial or similar banks for demand, time, or savings deposits. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.; ; International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics and data files.; ;

United States US: Lending Interest Rate data was reported at 3.512 % pa in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.260 % pa for 2015. United States US: Lending Interest Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 6.922 % pa from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.870 % pa in 1981 and a record low of 3.250 % pa in 2014. United States US: Lending Interest Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Interest Rates. Lending rate is the bank rate that usually meets the short- and medium-term financing needs of the private sector. This rate is normally differentiated according to creditworthiness of borrowers and objectives of financing. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.; ; International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics and data files.; ;

The benchmark interest rate In the Euro Area was last recorded at 2.15 percent. This dataset provides - Euro Area Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In December 2024, the benchmark interest rate in Pakistan stood at 13 percent. Bangladesh's central bank policy rate stood at 10 percent that month, counteracting the country's high inflation.

The average for 2023 based on 18 countries was 25.01 percent. The highest value was in Zimbabwe: 170.29 percent and the lowest value was in Botswana: 6.74 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The benchmark interest rate in Japan was last recorded at 0.50 percent. This dataset provides - Japan Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This dataset provides values for DEPOSIT INTEREST RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The benchmark interest rate in the United Kingdom was last recorded at 4.25 percent. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Mortgage interest rates worldwide varied greatly in 2024, from less than **** percent in many European countries, to as high as ** percent in Turkey. The average mortgage rate in a country depends on the central bank's base lending rate and macroeconomic indicators such as inflation and forecast economic growth. Since 2022, inflationary pressures have led to rapid increase in mortgage interest rates. Which are the leading mortgage markets? An easy way to estimate the importance of the mortgage sector in each country is by comparing household debt depth, or the ratio of the debt held by households compared to the county's GDP. In 2023, Switzerland, Australia, and Canada had some of the highest household debt to GDP ratios worldwide. While this indicator shows the size of the sector relative to the country’s economy, the value of mortgages outstanding allows to compare the market size in different countries. In Europe, for instance, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France were the largest mortgage markets by outstanding mortgage lending. Mortgage lending trends in the U.S. In the United States, new mortgage lending soared in 2021. This was largely due to the growth of new refinance loans that allow homeowners to renegotiate their mortgage terms and replace their existing loan with a more favorable one. Following the rise in interest rates, the mortgage market cooled, and refinance loans declined.