The U.S. federal funds effective rate underwent a dramatic reduction in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate plummeted from 1.58 percent in February 2020 to 0.65 percent in March, and further decreased to 0.05 percent in April. This sharp reduction, accompanied by the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program, was implemented to stabilize the economy during the global health crisis. After maintaining historically low rates for nearly two years, the Federal Reserve began a series of rate hikes in early 2022, with the rate moving from 0.33 percent in April 2022 to 5.33 percent in August 2023. The rate remained unchanged for over a year, before the Federal Reserve initiated its first rate cut in nearly three years in September 2024, bringing the rate to 5.13 percent. By December 2024, the rate was cut to 4.48 percent, signaling a shift in monetary policy in the second half of 2024. The first rate cut in 2025 then set the rate at 4.33 percent. What is the federal funds effective rate? The U.S. federal funds effective rate determines the interest rate paid by depository institutions, such as banks and credit unions, that lend reserve balances to other depository institutions overnight. Changing the effective rate in times of crisis is a common way to stimulate the economy, as it has a significant impact on the whole economy, such as economic growth, employment, and inflation. Central bank policy rates The adjustment of interest rates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was a coordinated global effort. In early 2020, central banks worldwide implemented aggressive monetary easing policies to combat the economic crisis. The U.S. Federal Reserve's dramatic reduction of its federal funds rate - from 1.58 percent in February 2020 to 0.05 percent by April - mirrored similar actions taken by central banks globally. While these low rates remained in place throughout 2021, mounting inflationary pressures led to a synchronized tightening cycle beginning in 2022, with central banks pushing rates to multi-year highs. By mid-2024, as inflation moderated across major economies, central banks began implementing their first rate cuts in several years, with the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and European Central Bank all easing monetary policy.

Mortgage rates in the Netherlands increased sharply in 2022 and 2023, after declining gradually between 2008 and 2021. In December 2022, the average interest rate for new mortgage loans stood at 1.65 percent, and by the end of 2023, it had risen to 4.13 percent. The 10-year interest rate was the lowest, at 2.96 percent; the floating and less than one-year interest rates amounted to 5.13 and 4.62 percent, respectively. In early 2024, mortgage rates decreased notably. Are mortgage rates in the Netherlands different from those in other European countries? When comparing this ranking to data that covers multiple European countries, the Netherlands’ mortgage rate was similar to the rates found in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. It was, however, a lot lower than the rates in Eastern Europe. Hungary and Romania, for example, had some of the highest mortgage rates. For more information on the European mortgage market and how much the countries differ from each other, please visit this dedicated research page. How big is the mortgage market in the Netherlands? The Netherlands has overall seen an increase in the number of mortgage loans sold and is regarded as one of the countries with the highest mortgage debt in Europe. The reason behind this is that Dutch homeowners were able to for many years to deduct interest paid from pre-tax income (a system known in the Netherlands as hypotheekrenteaftrek). Total mortgage debt of Dutch households has been increasing year-on-year since 2013.

Real interest rates describe the growth in the real value of the interest on a loan or deposit, adjusted for inflation. Nominal interest rates on the other hand show us the raw interest rate, which is unadjusted for inflation. If the inflation rate in a certain country were zero percent, the real and nominal interest rates would be the same number. As inflation reduces the real value of a loan, however, a positive inflation rate will mean that the nominal interest rate is more likely to be greater than the real interest rate. We can see this in the recent inflationary episode which has taken place in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, with nominal interest rates rising over the course of 2022, but still lagging far behind the rate of inflation, meaning these rate rises register as smaller increases in the real interest rate.

Key information about India Long Term Interest Rate

• India Government Securities Yield: 10 Years was reported at 6.71 % pa in Jan 2025, compared with 6.78 % pa in the previous month.
• India Long Term Interest Rate data is updated monthly, available from May 1996 to Jan 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 13.96 % pa in May 1996 and a record low of 5.11 % pa in Oct 2003.
• Long Term Interest Rate is reported by reported by Reserve Bank of India.

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Related information about India Long Term Interest Rate

• In the latest reports, India Short Term Interest Rate: Month End: India: MIBOR: 3 Months was reported at 7.19 % pa in Jun 2023.
• The cash rate (Policy Rate: Month End: Repo Rate) was set at 6.50 % pa in Jan 2025.
• India Exchange Rate against USD averaged 82.23 (USD/INR) in Jun 2023.

Mortgage interest rates in the UK were on a downward trend for more than a decade before soaring in 2022. In the second quarter of 2024, the average weighted interest rate stood at 4.8 percent - nearly three times the Interest rate in the fourth quarter of 2021. Mortgage rates also vary depending on the type of mortgage: Historically, fixed rate mortgages with a shorter term had on average lower interest rates. What types of mortgages are there? In terms of the type of interest rate, mortgages can be fixed and variable. A fixed interest rate is simply a mortgage where the rate of repayment is fixed, while a variable rate depends on the lender’s underlying variable interest rate. Furthermore, mortgages could be for a house purchase or for refinancing. The vast majority of mortgages in the UK are fixed rate mortgages for house purchase, and only a small share is for remortgaging. How big is the UK mortgage market? The UK has the largest mortgage market in Europe, amounting to nearly 61 billion euros in gross residential mortgage lending as of the second quarter of 2023. When comparing the total outstanding residential mortgage lending, the UK also ranks first with about 1.9 trillion euros.

The average mortgage interest rate in Spain followed a downward trend for almost a decade before increasing dramatically in 2022. In 2023, new housing loans had an average interest rate of 3.74 percent - about three times the interest rate in 2020. Mortgages with a five to 10-year term were the only product which saw rates decline between 2022 and 2023. Why did mortgage rates spike? Macroeconomic factors, such as inflation, economic growth, and fiscal policy, play a major role in determining the cost of a loan. Inflation in Europe started rising in late 2021, largely due to surging energy costs. In Spain, the annual change of the consumer price index peaked at almost 11 percent in July 2023. The European Central Bank has responded by introducing a series of hikes on the key interest rates (main refinancing operations, marginal lending facility, and deposit facility), which have affected lending rates across the European Union. How has the housing market reacted to the interest rate hike? The housing market follows a certain seasonality, with more home sales in the second and fourth quarters of the year. This was also the case in 2022, but the last quarter of the year saw an annual decline. Though compared to previous years, the number of transactions was one of the highest, the annual decrease shows a potential downturn.

In March 2025, the median interest rate on variable rate housing loans set by city banks in Japan stood at about 2.63 percent per annum. In October 2024, the rate had increased for the first time in over a decade. The short-term prime lending rate serves as a benchmark for adjustable rate home loan rates.

Car loan interest rates in the United States decreased since June 2024. Thus, the period of rapidly rising interest rates, when they increased from less than four percent in February 2022 to 7.9 percent two years later, has come to an end. The Federal Reserve interest rate is one of the main causes of the interest rates of loans rising or falling. If inflation stays under control, the Federal Reserve will start cutting the interest rates, which would have the effect of the cost of car loans falling too. How many cars have financing in the United States? Car financing exists because not everyone who wants or needs a car can purchase it outright. A financial institution will then lend the money to the customer for purchasing the car, which must then be repaid with interest. Most new vehicles in the United States in 2024 were purchased using car loans. It is not as common to use car loans for purchasing used vehicles as for new ones, although over a third of used vehicles were purchased using loans. The car industry in the United States The car financing business is huge in the United States, due to the high sales of both new and used vehicles in the country. A lot of the United States is very car-centric, which means that, outside large cities, it can often be difficult to do their daily commutes through other transportation methods. In fact, only a small percentage of U.S. workers used public transport to go to work. That is one of the factors that has helped establish the importance of the automotive sector in North America. Nevertheless, there are still countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe with higher car-ownership rates than the United States.

Key information about Ireland Real Effective Exchange Rate

• Ireland Real Effective Exchange Rate (HCI: 2005=100: Month Avg: Ireland) was 81.8 in Feb 2025, compared with the number of 81.9 in the previous month.
• Ireland Real Effective Exchange Rate data is updated monthly and averaged 110.0 from Jan 1993 to Feb 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 110.0 in Apr 2008 and a record low of 78.9 in Oct 2000.

CEIC generates Real Effective Exchange Rate Index with base 2005=100. European Central Bank provides Harmonized Competitiveness Indicator with base 1Q1999=100. CPI is used as a deflator. An increase in REER indicates reduced competitiveness for the reporting economy. Ireland is part of the Euro Area since January 1999.


Related information about Ireland Real Effective Exchange Rate

• In the latest reports, Ireland Short Term Interest Rate: Month End: EURIBOR: 3 Months was reported at 1.7 % pa in Dec 2021.
• The cash rate (Policy Rate: Month End: Main Refinancing Operations) was set at 2.9 % pa in Feb 2025.
• Ireland Exchange Rate against USD averaged 0.9 (USD/EUR) in Jun 2023.

The loans for used cars generally had higher interest rates than loans for new cars in the United States in 2025. In February of that year, loans with maturity of 48 months had an average interest rate of 8.13 percent for used cars, and 7.43 percent for new cars. The interest rates for 60-month new car loans reached its highest point of the past decade in the first half of 2024.

In June 2024, the European Central Bank (ECB) began reducing its fixed interest rate for the first time since 2016, implementing a series of cuts. The rate decreased from 4.5 percent to 3.15 percent by year-end: a 0.25 percentage point cut in June, followed by additional reductions in September, October, and December. The central bank implemented another cut in early 2025, setting the rate at 2.9 percent. This marked a significant shift from the previous rate hike cycle, which began in July 2022 when the ECB raised rates to 0.5 percent and subsequently increased them almost monthly, reaching 4.5 percent by December 2023 - the highest level since the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. How does this ensure liquidity? Banks typically hold only a fraction of their capital in cash, measured by metrics like the Tier 1 capital ratio. Since this ratio is low, banks prefer to allocate most of their capital to revenue-generating loans. When their cash reserves fall too low, banks borrow from the ECB to cover short-term liquidity needs. On the other hand, commercial banks can also deposit excess funds with the ECB at a lower interest rate. Reasons for fluctuations
The ECB’s primary mandate is to maintain price stability. The Euro area inflation rate is, in theory, the key indicator guiding the ECB's actions. When the fixed interest rate is lower, commercial banks are more likely to borrow from the ECB, increasing the money supply and, in turn, driving inflation higher. When inflation rises, the ECB increases the fixed interest rate, which slows borrowing and helps to reduce inflation.

Chile is one of the few Latin American countries whose monetary policy rates have stayed relatively low in the past decade. Monetary policy rate, also known as base interest rate or base rate, is a percentage defined by central banks to determine the cost of credit in a given economy. This indicator serves as a guide for other financial institutions to set their own interest rates. In 2018, the Central Bank of Chile set the monetary policy rate at 2.56 percent in 2018, slightly down from 2.67 percent a year earlier.

Mortgage interest rates in Spain soared in 2022, after falling below 1.5 percent at the end of 2021. In the second quarter of 2024, the average weighted interest rate stood at 3.46 percent. That was lower than the rate in the same period the previous year. Despite the increase, Spain had a considerably lower mortgage interest rate than many other European countries.The aftermath of the property bubble Before the bursting of the real estate bubble, the housing market experienced a period of intense activity. A context marked by economic growth, high employment rate, low interest rates, skyrocketing house prices and land speculation, among others, encourage massive lending for the acquisition of property; in 2005 alone, more than 1.3 million home mortgages were granted in Spain. When the bubble burst and the financial crisis hit the country, residential real estate transactions plummeted and households’ non-performing loans jumped to nearly 50 billion euros as countless families were not able to cope with their debts. Over a decade after the onset of the crisis, and despite falling mortgage rates, the volume of mortgage loans keeps decreasing every year. A homeowner country Traditionally, Spain has been a country of homeowners; in 2021, the homeownership rate was roughly 76 percent. While nearly half of Spanish households own their property with no outstanding payment, the percentage of households that have loan or mortgage pending has been decreasing in recent years. Despite ownership remaining as the preferred tenure option, cultural changes, job insecurity and mounting house prices are prompting Spaniards to opt more and more to become tenants instead of owners, as shown in the changing dynamics of the Spanish residential rental market.

The mortgage interest rate in France had been on a downward trend for nearly a decade, until it started to rise in 2022. In the second quarter of 2024, the interest rate amounted to 3.49 percent, up from 2.89 percent during the same period in 2023. A similar trend can be observed across most European countries.

The annual average interest rate on new residential loans in Lithuania increased in 2023, having reached the highest rate recorded in the past decade. In 2023, the average mortgage rate stood at 5.45 percent, up from 2.76 percent the year before. Mortgage borrowing was most affordable in 2015, when the interest rate amounted to 1.88 percent.

In 2023, personal savings amounted to 4.51 percent of the disposable income in the United States. The personal savings rate peaked in 2020, when U.S. households saved on average over 15 percent of their income. That year and in 2021, there were measures implemented to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus which limited the ability of people to go out and spend their money, which resulted in people saving more than usual.

Savings during recessions During recessions, households often tend to increase their savings due to economic uncertainty and to compensate for any possible loss of income, which could occur, for example, in the case of falling into unemployment. For example, as seen in this statistic, the savings rate increased noticeably between 2007 and 2012, coinciding with a period of crisis. However, there are also factors that affect the amount of money that households can manage to set aside, such as inflation. Saving can be particularly difficult during periods when the inflation rate has been higher than the growth rates of wages.

Savings accounts The value of savings deposits and other checkable deposits in the U.S. amounted to roughly 11 trillion U.S. dollars in late 2023, even after a significant fall in the amount of money placed in those types of instruments. In other words, savings accounts are a type of financial asset that is very widely used among households to save money. Nevertheless, interest rates of savings’ accounts differ a lot from one financial institution to another. Some of the lesser-known online banks had the highest interest rates, while the major banks often offered lower interest rates.

Mexico's monetary policy rates have been continuously increasing since 2015. In 2010, the Bank of Mexico set the base interest rate at 4.5 percent, and it remained at the same level until 2012. In 2018, the rate reached 7.64 percent, the highest level registered this decade so far. Monetary policy rate, also known as base interest rate or base rate, is a percentage defined by central banks to determine the cost of credit in a given economy. This indicator serves as a guide for other financial institutions to set their own interest rates.

In financial year 2021, the effective interest rate on home loans was a little over three percent on average. This was a slight increase compared to the previous year, when the interest rate stood at 2.9 percent. This increase happened after years of decreasing interest rates.

The reasons for this decline over the last decade are the general decrease in the nominal interest rate as well as the introduction of governmental subsidy programs such as the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS). In general, home loans in 2020 were more affordable than in 2000.

In economics, the inflation rate is a measure of the change in price of a basket of goods. The most common measure being the consumer price index. It is the percentage rate of change in price level over time, and also indicates the rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money. The annual rate of inflation for 2023, was 4.1 percent higher in the United States when compared to the previous year. More information on inflation and the consumer price index can be found on our dedicated topic page. Additionally, the monthly rate of inflation in the United States can be accessed here. Inflation and purchasing power Inflation is a key economic indicator, and gives economists and consumers alike a look at changes in prices in the wider economy. For example, if an average pair of socks costs 100 dollars one year and 105 dollars the following year, the inflation rate is five percent. This means the amount of goods an individual can purchase with a unit of currency has decreased. This concept is often referred to as purchasing power. The data presents the average rate of inflation in a year, whereas the monthly measure of inflation measures the change in prices compared with prices one year ago. For example, monthly inflation in the U.S. reached a peak in June 2022 at 9.1 percent. This means that prices were 9.1 percent higher than they were in June of 2021. The purchasing power is the extent to which a person has available funds to make purchases. The Big Mac Index has been published by The Economist since 1986 and exemplifies purchasing power on a global scale, allowing us to see note the differences between different countries currencies. Switzerland for example, has the most expensive Big Mac in the world, costing consumers 6.71 U.S. dollars as of July 2022, whereas a Big Mac cost 5.15 dollars in the United States, and 4.77 dollars in the Euro area. One of the most important tools in influencing the rate of inflation is interest rates. The Federal Reserve of the United States has the capacity to make changes to the federal interest rate . Changes to the rate of inflation are thought to be an imbalance between supply and demand. After COVID-19 related lockdowns came to an end there was a sudden increase in demand for goods and services with consumers having more funds than usual thanks to reduced spending during lockdown and government funded economic support. Additionally, supply-chain related bottlenecks also due to lockdowns around the world and the Russian invasion of Ukraine meant that there was a decrease in the supply of goods and services. By increasing the interest rate, the Federal Reserve aims to reduce spending, and thus bring demand back into balance with supply.

In December 2024, the median interest rate of three-year fixed rate housing loans provided by city banks in Japan stood at 3.74 percent. After reaching a record low in 2017, the interest rate has gradually increased, reaching a decade high in December 2024.