Real interest rate in Kuwait
Kuwait: Real interest rate was 10.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Kuwait, 1979–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for real interest rate in Kuwait is 10.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 56.3% on the previous year and down 74.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Kuwait peaked at 46.2% in 1986 and was at its lowest, -24.8%, in 1979.
That places Kuwait 25th out of 149 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | -24.8% | — |
| 1980 | -24.0% | -3.5% |
| 1981 | -1.8% | -92.4% |
| 1982 | 8.6% | -568.8% |
| 1983 | 19.4% | +127.1% |
| 1984 | 8.2% | -57.8% |
| 1985 | 3.7% | -54.9% |
| 1986 | 46.2% | +1148.7% |
| 1987 | -2.6% | -105.7% |
| 1988 | 3.6% | -238.3% |
| 1989 | 10.3% | +181.8% |
| 1990 | 7.9% | -23.0% |
| 1991 | 8.6% | +9.3% |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -30.0% |
| 1993 | 16.6% | +173.8% |
| 1994 | 14.3% | -13.5% |
| 1995 | 3.4% | -76.6% |
| 1996 | -5.8% | -273.9% |
| 1997 | 14.2% | -343.1% |
| 1998 | 31.5% | +122.1% |
| 1999 | -8.1% | -125.6% |
| 2000 | -9.7% | +19.9% |
| 2001 | 16.9% | -274.8% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | -92.5% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | -62.7% |
| 2004 | -5.1% | -1188.8% |
| 2005 | -11.7% | +127.6% |
| 2006 | -6.5% | -44.2% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | -162.0% |
| 2008 | -9.3% | -329.7% |
| 2009 | 28.2% | -402.4% |
| 2010 | -5.1% | -118.2% |
| 2011 | -10.3% | +100.7% |
| 2012 | -2.3% | -77.3% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | -285.9% |
| 2014 | 11.8% | +173.2% |
| 2015 | 40.9% | +245.5% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | -70.3% |
| 2017 | -9.9% | -181.7% |
| 2018 | -5.8% | -41.4% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | -184.7% |
| 2020 | 24.7% | +400.4% |
| 2021 | -19.9% | -180.6% |
| 2022 | -11.7% | -41.3% |
| 2023 | 14.1% | -221.0% |
| 2024 | 6.7% | -52.3% |
| 2025 | 10.5% | +56.3% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 10.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.7%, 3.9× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 10.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 6.2%, 1.7× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real interest rate in Kuwait 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | -1188.8% | 0.5% | -5.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -24.8% | -24.8% | -24.8% | 1 |
| 1980s | 7.2% | -24.0% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.9% | -8.1% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | -11.7% | 28.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.1% | -10.3% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | -19.9% | 24.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More financial sector data for Kuwait
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0044 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 142.41 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 5.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0032 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 103.99 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0044 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 142.41 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 5.86 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Kuwait?
- Real interest rate in Kuwait was 10.5% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 46.2% in 1986.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was -24.8% in 1979.
- How does Kuwait rank for real interest rate?
- Kuwait ranks 25th out of 149 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 74.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.