Lending interest rate in New Zealand

New Zealand: Lending interest rate was 4.8% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
4.8%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
126th
of 148 countries
All-time high
9.0%
in 1998
All-time low
4.8%
in 2017
Years of data
20
1998–2017

Lending interest rate in New Zealand, 1998–2017

024681998200720171998: 9 %1999: 7.1 %2000: 7.8 %2001: 7.6 %2002: 7.2 %2003: 7 %2004: 7.1 %2005: 7.8 %2006: 8.2 %2007: 8.6 %2008: 8.9 %2009: 6.7 %2010: 6.3 %2011: 6.1 %2012: 5.8 %2013: 5.5 %2014: 5.8 %2015: 5.8 %2016: 5 %2017: 4.8 %

Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for lending interest rate in New Zealand is 4.8%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.

The figure is down 5.2% on the previous year and down 44.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lending interest rate in New Zealand peaked at 9.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 2017.

New Zealand ranks 126th of 148 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Lending interest rate in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Lending interest rate (%) in New Zealand, 1998 to 2017.
Year % Change
1998 9.0%
1999 7.1% -21.6%
2000 7.8% +10.8%
2001 7.6% -2.8%
2002 7.2% -5.5%
2003 7.0% -2.5%
2004 7.1% +1.5%
2005 7.8% +9.3%
2006 8.2% +5.5%
2007 8.6% +5.1%
2008 8.9% +3.8%
2009 6.7% -25.5%
2010 6.3% -6.0%
2011 6.1% -2.3%
2012 5.8% -4.7%
2013 5.5% -5.0%
2014 5.8% +4.9%
2015 5.8% -0.7%
2016 5.0% -12.9%
2017 4.8% -5.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8.0% 7.1% 9.0% 2
2000s 7.7% 6.7% 8.9% 10
2010s 5.6% 4.8% 6.3% 8

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 123 Australia 5.1% compare
  2. 124 Kuwait 5.0% compare
  3. 125 Malaysia 4.8% compare
  4. 127 Serbia 4.8% compare
  5. 128 Qatar 4.8% compare
  6. 129 Malta 4.7% compare

See the full ranking of 148 places →

More financial sector data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is lending interest rate in New Zealand?
Lending interest rate in New Zealand was 4.8% in 2017, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest lending interest rate recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 9.0% in 1998.
What is the lowest lending interest rate recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 2017.
How does New Zealand rank for lending interest rate?
New Zealand ranks 126th out of 148 countries with data for 2017.
Is lending interest rate rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 44.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Lending interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Lending interest rate in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/lending-interest-rate-percent/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Lending interest rate (%)
Unit
%
Source
International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
148 places, 4,788 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Lending rate is the bank rate that usually meets the short- and medium-term financing needs of the private sector. This rate is normally differentiated according to creditworthiness of borrowers and objectives of financing. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.