Interest rate spread in Australia
Australia: Interest rate spread was 3.5% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Interest rate spread in Australia, 1981–2019
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus deposit rate, %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for interest rate spread in Australia is 3.5%, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of up 8.0% on the previous year and up 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Australia peaked at 4.2% in 2008 and was at its lowest, -1.9%, in 1989.
That places Australia 91st out of 140 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest rate spread in Australia, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | -1.8% | — |
| 1982 | -1.7% | -3.9% |
| 1983 | -0.4% | -74.8% |
| 1984 | -1.0% | +122.8% |
| 1985 | -1.6% | +65.1% |
| 1986 | -1.2% | -23.6% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | -116.6% |
| 1988 | 0.7% | +258.2% |
| 1989 | -1.9% | -361.5% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | -127.9% |
| 1991 | 2.4% | +348.7% |
| 1992 | 3.5% | +46.3% |
| 1993 | 3.7% | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 3.3% | -8.6% |
| 1995 | 3.4% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 3.0% | -9.0% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | -30.5% |
| 1998 | 2.3% | +10.8% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | +6.9% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | +12.0% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | +10.5% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -14.2% |
| 2003 | 3.1% | +16.6% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 3.4% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 3.5% | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | +14.1% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | -29.7% |
| 2010 | 3.1% | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 3.4% | +10.9% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | -10.0% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 3.3% | +7.4% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 3.5% | +8.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -1.0% | -1.9% | 0.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 0.5% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More financial sector data for Australia
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), annual growth rate 14.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita 1,921 SDR per person (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports, annual growth rate 17.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), annual growth rate 8.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per unit of GDP 0.0183 SDR per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita 1,189 SDR per person (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold (SDR), annual growth rate 8.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold (SDR), per capita 1,642 SDR per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest rate spread in Australia?
- Interest rate spread in Australia was 3.5% in 2019, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.2% in 2008.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.9% in 1989.
- How does Australia rank for interest rate spread?
- Australia ranks 91st out of 140 countries with data for 2019.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.4%. 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 Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Interest rate spread is the interest rate charged by banks on loans to private sector customers minus the interest 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.