Real interest rate in Canada
Canada: Real interest rate was 0.1% in 2017. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Canada, 1961–2017
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2017, real interest rate in Canada stood at 0.1%.
The figure is down 93.6% on the previous year and down 95.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Canada peaked at 10.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, -4.2%, in 1974.
That places Canada 124th out of 149 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.1% | — |
| 1962 | 4.3% | +40.8% |
| 1963 | 3.5% | -19.6% |
| 1964 | 2.8% | -18.7% |
| 1965 | 1.9% | -32.2% |
| 1966 | 1.0% | -46.5% |
| 1967 | 1.4% | +36.1% |
| 1968 | 2.7% | +95.7% |
| 1969 | 3.0% | +9.0% |
| 1970 | 3.3% | +10.1% |
| 1971 | 1.5% | -55.2% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | -88.9% |
| 1973 | -2.1% | -1363.4% |
| 1974 | -4.2% | +100.8% |
| 1975 | -1.4% | -65.8% |
| 1976 | 1.2% | -181.2% |
| 1977 | 1.7% | +44.4% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | +60.3% |
| 1979 | 2.6% | -4.1% |
| 1980 | 3.8% | +48.4% |
| 1981 | 7.6% | +99.3% |
| 1982 | 6.4% | -15.5% |
| 1983 | 5.0% | -21.4% |
| 1984 | 8.2% | +62.9% |
| 1985 | 7.0% | -14.8% |
| 1986 | 7.2% | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 4.5% | -37.0% |
| 1988 | 6.0% | +33.4% |
| 1989 | 8.3% | +37.3% |
| 1990 | 10.4% | +25.4% |
| 1991 | 6.7% | -35.6% |
| 1992 | 5.9% | -11.3% |
| 1993 | 4.6% | -22.5% |
| 1994 | 5.3% | +16.4% |
| 1995 | 6.2% | +16.8% |
| 1996 | 4.3% | -30.9% |
| 1997 | 3.8% | -12.6% |
| 1998 | 6.8% | +80.1% |
| 1999 | 4.4% | -34.8% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | -37.3% |
| 2001 | 4.2% | +50.4% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | -30.2% |
| 2003 | 1.4% | -52.2% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -48.6% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | +76.0% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | +150.8% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | -14.0% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | -74.1% |
| 2009 | 4.8% | +586.1% |
| 2010 | -0.2% | -104.9% |
| 2011 | -0.2% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.8% | -843.3% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -29.7% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -16.2% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +254.1% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -46.4% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -93.6% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 0.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.7%, 5% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real interest rate in Canada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | -1363.4% | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | +843.3% | -0.2% | 1.8% |
| 2009 | +586.1% | 0.7% | 4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 1.0% | 4.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.5% | -4.2% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.4% | 3.8% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 3.8% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 0.7% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | -0.2% | 3.7% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More financial sector data for Canada
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0017 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 93.62 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 68.36 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0017 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 93.62 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Canada?
- Real interest rate in Canada was 0.1% in 2017, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.2% in 1974.
- How does Canada rank for real interest rate?
- Canada ranks 124th out of 149 countries with data for 2017.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 95.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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.