Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) was 2.5% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Interest rate spread in Sri Lanka, 2001–2019
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus deposit rate, %.
Analysis
In 2019, interest rate spread in Sri Lanka stood at 2.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.3% on the previous year and down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.0% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2014.
Sri Lanka ranks 116th of 141 countries on this measure, 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3.5% | — |
| 2002 | 3.9% | +13.7% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | +10.0% |
| 2004 | 4.4% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | +16.7% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | +18.0% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | +32.2% |
| 2008 | 8.0% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | -36.8% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -34.4% |
| 2011 | 3.0% | -10.2% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | +55.0% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -51.9% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -84.7% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | +185.5% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | +250.0% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | -24.4% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | -6.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 2.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 47% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +250.0% | 1.0% | 3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.4% | 3.5% | 8.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 0.3% | 4.6% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More financial sector data for Sri Lanka
- 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 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0.1797 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 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0.1312 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 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0.1797 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 Sri Lanka?
- Interest rate spread in Sri Lanka was 2.5% in 2019, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8.0% in 2008.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2014.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for interest rate spread?
- Sri Lanka ranks 116th out of 141 countries with data for 2019.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.