Deposit interest rate (%) in Australia
Australia: Deposit interest rate (%) was 1.6% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Deposit interest rate in Australia, 1981–2019
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, deposit interest rate in Australia stood at 1.6%. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 21.3% on the previous year and down 49.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deposit interest rate in Australia peaked at 18.3% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2019.
That places Australia 116th out of 153 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Deposit interest rate (%) in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 13.6% | — |
| 1982 | 15.0% | +10.2% |
| 1983 | 12.8% | -14.4% |
| 1984 | 12.5% | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 14.0% | +12.4% |
| 1986 | 16.2% | +15.8% |
| 1987 | 14.9% | -8.2% |
| 1988 | 13.4% | -10.2% |
| 1989 | 18.3% | +37.3% |
| 1990 | 15.8% | -13.7% |
| 1991 | 11.1% | -30.2% |
| 1992 | 7.1% | -35.5% |
| 1993 | 5.8% | -19.1% |
| 1994 | 5.8% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 7.1% | +24.3% |
| 1996 | 6.7% | -6.5% |
| 1997 | 5.0% | -24.4% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | -14.1% |
| 1999 | 4.1% | -6.4% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | +20.9% |
| 2001 | 3.7% | -23.8% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 3.5% | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 3.9% | +9.7% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | +11.5% |
| 2008 | 4.7% | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 3.1% | -34.8% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +36.8% |
| 2011 | 4.3% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 3.9% | -9.7% |
| 2013 | 3.2% | -17.0% |
| 2014 | 2.9% | -10.6% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | -20.7% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | -6.2% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -21.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.6%, 1.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.5%, 1.0× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.5% | 12.5% | 18.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 7.3% | 4.1% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 3.1% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 1.6% | 4.3% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 113 Kyrgyzstan 1.7% compare
- 114 Czechia 1.6% compare
- 115 Samoa 1.6% compare
- 117 San Marino 1.5% compare
- 118 Dominica 1.5% compare
- 119 Cape Verde 1.5% compare
More financial sector data for Australia
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 83.74 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 6.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0009 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 61.14 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 83.74 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 6.56 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deposit interest rate in Australia?
- Deposit interest rate in Australia was 1.6% in 2019, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest deposit interest rate recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.3% in 1989.
- What is the lowest deposit interest rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2019.
- How does Australia rank for deposit interest rate?
- Australia ranks 116th out of 153 countries with data for 2019.
- Is deposit interest rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Deposit interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.