Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Lebanon
Lebanon: Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) was 0.8% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Interest rate spread in Lebanon, 1982–2019
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus deposit rate, %.
Analysis
In 2019, interest rate spread in Lebanon stood at 0.8%. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is down 40.5% on the previous year and down 63.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Lebanon peaked at 23.1% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2019.
That places Lebanon 128th out of 141 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.
Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Lebanon, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 3.9% | — |
| 1983 | 4.5% | +16.1% |
| 1984 | 4.1% | -10.3% |
| 1985 | 4.0% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 5.8% | +43.3% |
| 1987 | 15.4% | +165.0% |
| 1988 | 22.5% | +46.5% |
| 1989 | 22.3% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 23.1% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 21.2% | -8.0% |
| 1992 | 23.1% | +8.8% |
| 1993 | 13.0% | -43.9% |
| 1994 | 9.1% | -30.0% |
| 1995 | 8.4% | -7.6% |
| 1996 | 9.7% | +15.2% |
| 1997 | 6.9% | -28.4% |
| 1999 | 7.0% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 6.9% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 6.3% | -8.7% |
| 2002 | 5.5% | -12.4% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | -14.6% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -27.5% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -27.5% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | -8.6% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 2.3% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | -23.2% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | -10.1% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -10.5% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | -18.2% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +117.6% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | -16.2% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | -32.5% |
| 2019 | 0.8% | -40.5% |
Lebanon compared with similar countries
- Lebanon's 0.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.3%, 13% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Lebanon's 0.8% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.3%, 25% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Lebanon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +165.0% | 5.8% | 15.4% |
| 2016 | +117.6% | 1.1% | 2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.3% | 3.9% | 22.5% | 8 |
| 1990s | 13.5% | 6.9% | 23.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.9% | 2.3% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 0.8% | 2.4% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Lebanon
More financial sector data for Lebanon
- 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 0.0063 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 29.61 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 0.0049 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 21.62 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 0.0063 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 29.61 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 Lebanon?
- Interest rate spread in Lebanon was 0.8% in 2019, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Lebanon?
- The highest recorded value was 23.1% in 1992.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Lebanon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2019.
- How does Lebanon rank for interest rate spread?
- Lebanon ranks 128th out of 141 countries with data for 2019.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Lebanon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 63.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lebanon 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.