Interest Payments to Revenue - Ranking 2000

The 2025 World Bank data on interest payments as a percentage of revenue reveals a stark divide in fiscal health. At the top, Sri Lanka’s crushing burden of 98.1% indicates that nearly all government revenue is consumed by debt service, leaving minimal room for public investment or services. Ghana, at 61.4%, and India, at 36.2%, share a similar vulnerability: heavy borrowing costs that crowd out spending on infrastructure and social programs, a common structural trap for emerging economies with large debt stocks. Conversely, the bottom of the ranking, including Somalia at -0.6% and Ireland at -0.05%, reflects either negative nominal interest rates or exceptionally low debt levels, often due to unique fiscal arrangements or recent debt restructuring. As global interest rates fluctuate, a sustained period of tighter monetary policy could push more countries toward Sri Lanka’s extreme position, while debt relief or higher revenue growth might lift others from the top ranks.