Costa Rica vs South Africa: Real interest rate
Real interest rate over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 7.7% against 7.5% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1982 it was South Africa ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 41st of 149 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | 2.1% | 2.0% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 8.8% | 7.1% | 1.7% | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 9.8% | 5.0% | 4.8% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 9.4% | 3.9% | 5.5% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 5.6% | 4.6% | 1.0% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher real interest rate, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 7.7% against 7.5% in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in real interest rate between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for real interest rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 41st of 149 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Real interest rate (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
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.