Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Korea
Korea: Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) was 1.5% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Interest rate spread in Korea, 1996–2025
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 Korea is 1.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.1% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Korea peaked at 2.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2000.
That places Korea 124th out of 141 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Korea, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1.0% | — |
| 1997 | 1.1% | +11.8% |
| 1998 | 2.0% | +85.8% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | -27.3% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | -58.1% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | +215.8% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.9% | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -20.7% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | +67.0% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -23.6% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.7% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -30.6% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +14.9% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -7.4% |
| 2025 | 1.5% | +17.1% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 1.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.1%, 48% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Korea's 1.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.0%, 29% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +215.8% | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| 1998 | +85.8% | 1.1% | 2.0% |
| 2009 | +67.0% | 1.3% | 2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 2.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 0.6% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More financial sector data for Korea
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 58.67 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 42.84 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 58.67 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest rate spread in Korea?
- Interest rate spread in Korea was 1.5% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2009.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2000.
- How does Korea rank for interest rate spread?
- Korea ranks 124th out of 141 countries with data for 2025.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Korea 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.