Interest rate spread in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Interest rate spread was 9.5% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Interest rate spread in Least developed countries, 2005–2017
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 Least developed countries is 9.5%, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Least developed countries peaked at 9.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 2013.
That places Least developed countries 3rd out of 40 groups with data for 2017, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Interest rate spread in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.0% | — |
| 2006 | 8.1% | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 8.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8.4% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 8.9% | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -9.4% |
| 2013 | 7.7% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 8.2% | +6.0% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 9.0% | +7.2% |
| 2017 | 9.5% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.3% | 8.0% | 9.0% | 5 |
| 2010s | 8.6% | 7.7% | 9.5% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 1 Madagascar 47.9% compare
- 2 Zimbabwe 40.1%
- 3 Brazil 32.5% compare
- 4 Lao People's Democratic Republic 19.6% compare
- 5 Tajikistan 18.4% compare
- 6 Kyrgyzstan 18.1% compare
More financial sector data for Least developed countries
- Broad money 45.0% (2023)
- Total reserves in months of imports, annual growth rate -4.74 % 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)
- Net migration, annual growth rate 30.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Net migration -1.21 million (2025)
- Domestic credit to private sector 31.2% (2024)
- Claims on central government, etc. 12.1% (2024)
- Monetary Sector credit to private sector 31.1% (2024)
- Total reserves in months of imports 5.77 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest rate spread in Least developed countries?
- Interest rate spread in Least developed countries was 9.5% in 2017, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 2013.
- How does Least developed countries rank for interest rate spread?
- Least developed countries ranks 3rd out of 40 groups with data for 2017.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.