
Policy Interest Rate (%)
The policy interest rate is an interest rate that the monetary authority (i.e. the central bank) sets in order to influence the evolution of the main monetary variables in the economy (e.g. consumer prices, exchange rate or credit expansion, among others). The policy interest rate determines the levels of the rest of the interest rates in the economy, since it is the price at which private agents-mostly private banks-obtain money from the central bank. These banks will then offer financial products to their clients at an interest rate that is normally based on the policy rate.
Different countries have different policy interest rates. The most common are the overnight lending rate, discount rate and repurchase rate (of different maturities). Normally, central banks use the policy interest rate to perform contractive or expansive monetary policy. A rise in interest rates is commonly used to curb inflation, currency depreciation, excessive credit growth or capital outflows. On the contrary, by cutting interest rates, a central bank might be seeking to boost economic activity by fostering credit expansion or currency depreciation in order to gain competitiveness.
The table below shows the policy interest rate in percentage (end of period) by country for the last five years.
Looking for forecasts? FocusEconomics Consensus Forecasts cover approx. 30 macro-economic indicators per country for a 5-year forecast period and quarterly forecasts for the most important economic variables. Get Details.
Interest Rate Data
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | 1.75 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Angola | 11.00 | 16.00 | 18.00 | 16.50 | 15.50 |
Armenia | 8.75 | 6.25 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 5.50 |
Australia | 2.00 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 0.75 |
Austria | - | - | - | - | - |
Azerbaijan | 3.00 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 9.75 | 7.50 |
Bangladesh | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 |
Belarus | 25.00 | 18.00 | 11.00 | 10.00 | 9.00 |
Belgium | 0.05 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Bolivia | 8.07 | 7.95 | 8.11 | 8.04 | 8.40 |
Botswana | 6.00 | 5.50 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 4.75 |
Brazil | 14.25 | 13.75 | 7.00 | 6.50 | 4.50 |
Brunei | 5.50 | 5.50 | 5.50 | 5.50 | 5.50 |
Bulgaria | 0.01 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Cambodia | 1.42 | 1.44 | 1.53 | - | - |
Canada | 0.50 | 0.50 | 1.00 | 1.75 | 1.75 |
Chile | 3.50 | 3.50 | 2.50 | 2.75 | 1.75 |
China | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.31 | 4.15 |
Colombia | 5.75 | 7.50 | 4.75 | 4.25 | 4.25 |
Croatia | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Cyprus | - | - | - | - | - |
Czech Republic | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.50 | 1.75 | 2.00 |
DR Congo | - | - | - | - | - |
Denmark | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
Dominican Republic | 5.00 | 5.50 | 5.25 | 5.50 | 4.50 |
Estonia | - | - | - | - | - |
Ethiopia | 7.50 | 7.50 | 7.00 | 7.00 | 7.00 |
Eurozone | 0.05 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Finland | 0.05 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
France | - | - | - | - | - |
Georgia | 8.00 | 6.50 | 7.25 | 7.00 | 9.00 |
Germany | - | - | - | - | - |
Ghana | 26.00 | 25.50 | 20.00 | 17.00 | 16.00 |
Greece | - | - | - | - | - |
Guatemala | 3.00 | 3.00 | 2.75 | 2.75 | 2.75 |
Hungary | 1.35 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.90 |
Iceland | 5.75 | 5.00 | 4.25 | 4.50 | 3.00 |
India | 6.75 | 6.25 | 6.00 | 6.25 | 4.40 |
Indonesia | 7.50 | 4.75 | 4.25 | 6.00 | 5.00 |
Ireland | - | - | - | - | - |
Italy | - | - | - | - | - |
Jamaica | 0.25 | 3.00 | 3.25 | 1.75 | 0.50 |
Japan | 0.10 | -0.10 | -0.10 | -0.10 | -0.10 |
Kazakhstan | 16.00 | 12.00 | 10.25 | 9.25 | 9.25 |
Kenya | 11.50 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 9.00 | 8.50 |
Korea | 1.50 | 1.25 | 1.50 | 1.75 | 1.25 |
Laos | 5.63 | 5.31 | 5.00 | 5.00 | - |
Latvia | - | - | - | - | - |
Lithuania | 0.0 | - | - | - | - |
Luxembourg | - | - | - | - | - |
Malaysia | 3.25 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.25 | 3.00 |
Malta | - | - | - | - | - |
Mexico | 3.25 | 5.75 | 7.25 | 8.25 | 7.25 |
Moldova | 19.50 | 9.00 | 6.50 | 6.50 | 5.50 |
Mongolia | 13.00 | 14.00 | 11.00 | 11.00 | 11.00 |
Mozambique | - | - | - | - | - |
Myanmar | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 |
Netherlands | - | - | - | - | - |
New Zealand | 2.50 | 1.75 | 1.75 | 1.75 | 1.00 |
Nigeria | 11.00 | 14.00 | 14.00 | 14.00 | 13.50 |
North Macedonia | 3.25 | 3.75 | 3.25 | 2.50 | 2.25 |
Norway | 0.75 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.75 | 1.50 |
Pakistan | 6.50 | 5.75 | 5.75 | 6.50 | 12.25 |
Peru | 3.75 | 4.25 | 3.25 | 2.75 | 2.25 |
Philippines | 4.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 4.75 | 4.00 |
Poland | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
Portugal | - | - | - | - | - |
Romania | 1.75 | 1.75 | 1.75 | 2.50 | 2.50 |
Russia | 11.00 | 10.00 | 7.75 | 7.75 | 6.25 |
Serbia | 4.50 | 4.00 | 3.50 | 3.00 | 2.25 |
Singapore | 0.88 | - | - | - | - |
Slovakia | - | - | - | - | - |
Slovenia | - | - | - | - | - |
Spain | - | - | - | - | - |
Sri Lanka | 7.50 | 8.50 | 8.75 | 9.00 | 8.00 |
Sweden | -0.35 | -0.50 | -0.50 | -0.50 | 0.0 |
Switzerland | -0.75 | -0.75 | -0.75 | -0.75 | -0.75 |
Taiwan | 1.63 | 1.38 | 1.38 | 1.38 | 1.38 |
Tajikistan | 8.00 | 11.00 | 16.00 | 14.00 | 12.25 |
Tanzania | 16.00 | 16.00 | 9.00 | 7.00 | 7.00 |
Thailand | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.75 | 1.25 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 4.75 | 4.75 | 4.75 | 5.00 | 5.00 |
Turkey | 7.50 | 8.00 | 8.00 | 24.00 | 12.00 |
USA | 0.50 | 0.75 | 1.50 | 2.50 | 1.75 |
Uganda | 17.00 | 12.00 | 9.50 | 10.00 | 9.00 |
Ukraine | 22.00 | 14.00 | 14.50 | 18.00 | 13.50 |
United Kingdom | 0.50 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
Uzbekistan | 9.00 | 9.00 | 14.00 | 16.00 | 16.00 |
Vietnam | 6.50 | 6.50 | 6.25 | 6.25 | 6.00 |
Zambia | 15.50 | 15.50 | 10.25 | 9.75 | 11.50 |
Download Sample Report
Interest Rate Economic News
-
Peru: Central Bank raises rates for tenth consecutive time at May meeting
May 13, 2022
At its 12 May meeting, the Central Bank of Peru raised its key policy interest rate by 50 basis points from 4.50% to 5.00%, pushing it to its highest level since April 2009.
-
Mexico: Banxico hikes again in May; adopts more hawkish forward guidance
May 12, 2022
On 12 May, the Governing Board of the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) opted to raise the target for the overnight interbank interest rate by 50 basis points to 7.00%, marking the eighth consecutive hike and the third this year.
-
Romania: NBR speeds up policy tightening with sixth consecutive rate hike in May
May 10, 2022
At its meeting on 10 May, the National Bank of Romania (NBR) raised the policy rate to 3.75% from April’s 3.00%, thus marking the sixth successive hike.
Sample Report
Get a sample report showing our regional, country and commodities data and analysis.