How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Lebanon?

24 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2021.

Where does this data come from?

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Iceland vs Lebanon: Share of government spending going to interest payments

Iceland

14.7%

in 2023

Lebanon

15.2%

in 2021

Iceland rank

29th

Lebanon rank

26th

Share of government spending going to interest payments over time

Iceland
Lebanon

How they compare

Lebanon currently reports 15.2% against 14.7% in Iceland, a difference of 0.5%.

Across all 24 years both countries report, Lebanon has been ahead every year.

Iceland ranks 29th and Lebanon ranks 26th of 152 countries.

Lebanon has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iceland	Lebanon	Difference	Ahead
1990s	10.5%	49.1%	38.6%	Lebanon
2000s	14.1%	45.1%	31.0%	Lebanon
2010s	18.9%	34.9%	16.0%	Lebanon
2020s	10.0%	16.0%	6.0%	Lebanon

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of government spending going to interest payments, Iceland or Lebanon?: Lebanon, at 15.2% against 14.7% in Iceland as of 2021.
What is the difference in share of government spending going to interest payments between Iceland and Lebanon?: 0.5%, with Lebanon ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Lebanon?: 24 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2021.
How do Iceland and Lebanon rank globally for share of government spending going to interest payments?: Iceland ranks 29th and Lebanon ranks 26th of 152 countries.
Where does this data come from?: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iceland vs Lebanon: Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-government-expenditure-going-to-interest-payments/iceland/lebanon/

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About this data

Indicator: Share of government spending going to interest payments
Unit: % of expense
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 152 places, 4,278 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Interest expenditures on government debt, as share of total central government expenditures. Interest expenditures on government debt include payments on long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments.