Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Bahrain
Bahrain: Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) was 4.2% in 2015. ▲ Rising
Interest rate spread in Bahrain, 1986–2015
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus deposit rate, %.
Analysis
Bahrain recorded 4.2% for interest rate spread in 2015.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.7% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Bahrain peaked at 8.1% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1990.
That places Bahrain 88th out of 141 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 3.4% | — |
| 1987 | 2.5% | -25.9% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 1.1% | -53.1% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | -15.5% |
| 1992 | 8.1% | +788.8% |
| 1993 | 7.8% | -3.6% |
| 1994 | 6.7% | -14.1% |
| 1995 | 6.0% | -10.6% |
| 1996 | 7.1% | +19.1% |
| 1997 | 6.9% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 7.1% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 6.9% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 5.8% | -16.6% |
| 2001 | 8.0% | +38.0% |
| 2002 | 7.1% | -11.4% |
| 2003 | 6.8% | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 6.4% | -6.7% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | -26.4% |
| 2006 | 3.6% | -23.0% |
| 2007 | 3.8% | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | +73.9% |
| 2009 | 6.4% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 6.0% | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 5.8% | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 5.0% | -14.2% |
| 2013 | 4.9% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 4.9% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 4.2% | -14.7% |
Bahrain compared with similar countries
- Bahrain's 4.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.1%, 1.4× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Bahrain's 4.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.3%, 1.3× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Bahrain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +788.8% | 0.9% | 8.1% |
| 2008 | +73.9% | 3.8% | 6.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.3% | 1.1% | 3.4% | 4 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 0.9% | 8.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 3.6% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.1% | 4.2% | 6.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
More financial sector data for Bahrain
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0038 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 116.55 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0028 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 85.11 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0038 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 116.55 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest rate spread in Bahrain?
- Interest rate spread in Bahrain was 4.2% in 2015, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 1992.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1990.
- How does Bahrain rank for interest rate spread?
- Bahrain ranks 88th out of 141 countries with data for 2015.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bahrain 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.
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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.