Risk premium on lending in Jamaica
Jamaica: Risk premium on lending was 6.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Risk premium on lending in Jamaica, 1976–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for risk premium on lending in Jamaica is 6.7%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 56.6% on the previous year and down 35.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, risk premium on lending in Jamaica peaked at 15.9% in 1995 and was at its lowest, -7.1%, in 2003.
Jamaica ranks 25th of 86 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.
Risk premium on lending in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus treasury bill rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 6.5% | — |
| 1977 | 6.6% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 5.4% | -18.4% |
| 1979 | 4.6% | -15.8% |
| 1980 | 5.7% | +24.1% |
| 1981 | 6.2% | +10.0% |
| 1982 | 7.8% | +25.5% |
| 1983 | 4.6% | -41.3% |
| 1984 | 5.2% | +14.2% |
| 1985 | 5.9% | +12.3% |
| 1986 | 6.5% | +9.8% |
| 1987 | 7.3% | +12.8% |
| 1988 | 6.7% | -8.2% |
| 1989 | 6.1% | -8.6% |
| 1990 | 4.3% | -29.9% |
| 1991 | 6.0% | +38.7% |
| 1992 | 10.5% | +75.6% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | +42.2% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | -56.4% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | +145.7% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | -88.2% |
| 1997 | 11.7% | +522.5% |
| 1998 | 5.9% | -49.3% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 5.1% | -18.4% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | -23.6% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | -24.0% |
| 2003 | -7.1% | -337.9% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | -137.9% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | +48.9% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | +22.2% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 0.9% | -79.8% |
| 2009 | -3.5% | -475.9% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | -418.2% |
| 2011 | 12.9% | +15.4% |
| 2012 | 11.0% | -14.8% |
| 2013 | 10.4% | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | -14.4% |
| 2015 | 10.4% | +16.4% |
| 2016 | 10.5% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 9.1% | -13.5% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | +28.7% |
| 2019 | 11.1% | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 10.8% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 9.5% | -11.9% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | -57.0% |
| 2023 | 3.5% | -13.3% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | +20.0% |
| 2025 | 6.7% | +56.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.8% | 4.6% | 6.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 6.2% | 4.6% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.4% | 1.9% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | -7.1% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.7% | 8.9% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.5% | 3.5% | 10.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 22 Bulgaria 7.1% compare
- 23 Antigua and Barbuda 7.0% compare
- 24 Uzbekistan 6.9% compare
- 26 Cape Verde 6.4% compare
- 27 Kosovo 6.2% compare
- 27 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 6.2% compare
More financial sector data for Jamaica
- 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 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 13.2 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 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 9.64 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 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 13.2 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is risk premium on lending in Jamaica?
- Risk premium on lending in Jamaica was 6.7% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest risk premium on lending recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 15.9% in 1995.
- What is the lowest risk premium on lending recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was -7.1% in 2003.
- How does Jamaica rank for risk premium on lending?
- Jamaica ranks 25th out of 86 countries with data for 2025.
- Is risk premium on lending rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Risk premium on lending (lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Risk premium on lending is the interest rate charged by banks on loans to private sector customers minus the "risk free" treasury bill interest rate at which short-term government securities are issued or traded in the market. In some countries this spread may be negative, indicating that the market considers its best corporate clients to be lower risk than the government. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.