Share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador

El Salvador: Share of government spending going to interest payments was 14.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
14.1%
Change on year
up 19.2%
World rank
34th
of 152 countries
All-time high
14.2%
in 2006
All-time low
6.9%
in 2001
Years of data
26
1998–2023

Share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador, 1998–2023

0510151998201020231998: 9.7 % of expense1999: 9.1 % of expense2000: 8.9 % of expense2001: 6.9 % of expense2002: 11.3 % of expense2003: 11.3 % of expense2004: 13.4 % of expense2005: 12.5 % of expense2006: 14.2 % of expense2007: 12.2 % of expense2008: 10.6 % of expense2009: 10.1 % of expense2010: 10.8 % of expense2011: 10 % of expense2012: 10.2 % of expense2013: 10.6 % of expense2014: 11.6 % of expense2015: 10.6 % of expense2016: 10.9 % of expense2017: 11.1 % of expense2018: 11.4 % of expense2019: 11.5 % of expense2020: 8.9 % of expense2021: 11.1 % of expense2022: 11.8 % of expense2023: 14.1 % of expense

Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador is 14.1%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 19.2% on the previous year and up 32.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador peaked at 14.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 2001.

That places El Salvador 34th out of 152 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

Share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador, year by year

Annual values for Share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador, 1998 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1998 9.7%
1999 9.1% -6.0%
2000 8.9% -2.6%
2001 6.9% -22.5%
2002 11.3% +64.2%
2003 11.3% +0.3%
2004 13.4% +18.1%
2005 12.5% -6.7%
2006 14.2% +14.1%
2007 12.2% -14.1%
2008 10.6% -13.5%
2009 10.1% -4.5%
2010 10.8% +6.5%
2011 10.0% -6.7%
2012 10.2% +1.2%
2013 10.6% +4.6%
2014 11.6% +9.3%
2015 10.6% -8.4%
2016 10.9% +2.2%
2017 11.1% +2.1%
2018 11.4% +2.2%
2019 11.5% +1.1%
2020 8.9% -22.3%
2021 11.1% +24.7%
2022 11.8% +6.4%
2023 14.1% +19.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.4% 9.1% 9.7% 2
2000s 11.1% 6.9% 14.2% 10
2010s 10.9% 10.0% 11.6% 10
2020s 11.5% 8.9% 14.1% 4

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 31 South Africa 14.3% compare
  2. 32 Côte d'Ivoire 14.1% compare
  3. 33 Namibia 14.1% compare
  4. 35 Panama 13.4% compare
  5. 36 Senegal 13.2% compare
  6. 37 Colombia 13.2% compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador?
Share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador was 14.1% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of government spending going to interest payments recorded in El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 14.2% in 2006.
What is the lowest share of government spending going to interest payments recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 2001.
How does El Salvador rank for share of government spending going to interest payments?
El Salvador ranks 34th out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of government spending going to interest payments rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this El Salvador data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of government spending going to interest payments in El Salvador. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-government-expenditure-going-to-interest-payments/el-salvador/

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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

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.