Real interest rate in Australia
Australia: Real interest rate was 1.6% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Australia, 1961–2019
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, real interest rate in Australia stood at 1.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 53.2% on the previous year and up 60.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Australia peaked at 10.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, -6.0%, in 1974.
Australia ranks 111th of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.2% | — |
| 1962 | 5.6% | +152.6% |
| 1963 | 3.3% | -41.3% |
| 1964 | 1.7% | -47.0% |
| 1965 | 2.3% | +30.3% |
| 1966 | 2.6% | +15.7% |
| 1967 | 0.5% | -81.3% |
| 1968 | 3.3% | +564.3% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -67.0% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | +57.0% |
| 1971 | 2.0% | +16.4% |
| 1972 | 0.8% | -60.2% |
| 1973 | -1.5% | -292.3% |
| 1974 | -6.0% | +300.7% |
| 1975 | -5.3% | -11.2% |
| 1976 | -3.6% | -32.6% |
| 1977 | -1.4% | -61.5% |
| 1978 | 1.1% | -175.9% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | -57.0% |
| 1980 | -0.0% | -107.5% |
| 1981 | 2.1% | -6329.9% |
| 1982 | 1.4% | -32.6% |
| 1983 | 2.0% | +44.4% |
| 1984 | 3.4% | +64.5% |
| 1985 | 7.4% | +119.1% |
| 1986 | 7.9% | +7.4% |
| 1987 | 7.5% | -5.2% |
| 1988 | 6.4% | -14.3% |
| 1989 | 6.6% | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 9.7% | +46.0% |
| 1991 | 10.1% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 9.0% | -11.1% |
| 1993 | 8.5% | -5.5% |
| 1994 | 8.0% | -5.8% |
| 1995 | 8.0% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 6.8% | -14.8% |
| 1997 | 5.8% | -14.8% |
| 1998 | 5.5% | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 6.1% | +10.5% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | -16.9% |
| 2001 | 2.1% | -58.2% |
| 2002 | 3.4% | +62.9% |
| 2003 | 3.5% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 3.7% | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | -10.6% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -28.1% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | +28.6% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | +35.7% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -76.4% |
| 2010 | 6.0% | +516.5% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | -76.0% |
| 2012 | 5.1% | +251.1% |
| 2013 | 6.3% | +24.2% |
| 2014 | 4.5% | -29.3% |
| 2015 | 6.2% | +39.6% |
| 2016 | 6.1% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | -74.9% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | +117.3% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -53.2% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.7%, 58% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.0%, 32% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real interest rate in Australia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +6329.9% | -0.0% | 2.1% |
| 1968 | +564.3% | 0.5% | 3.3% |
| 2010 | +516.5% | 1.0% | 6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5% | 0.5% | 5.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | -1.2% | -6.0% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.5% | -0.0% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.7% | 5.5% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 1.0% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 1.4% | 6.3% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More financial sector data for Australia
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 83.74 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 6.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0009 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 61.14 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 83.74 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 6.56 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Australia?
- Real interest rate in Australia was 1.6% in 2019, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.0% in 1974.
- How does Australia rank for real interest rate?
- Australia ranks 111th out of 149 countries with data for 2019.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.