Share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago: Share of government spending going to interest payments was 9.6% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
9.6%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
55th
of 152 countries
All-time high
18.2%
in 2001
All-time low
5.2%
in 2013
Years of data
19
2001–2019

Share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago, 2001–2019

51015202001201020192001: 18.2 % of expense2002: 17.2 % of expense2003: 16.5 % of expense2004: 12.7 % of expense2005: 11.1 % of expense2006: 7.2 % of expense2007: 8 % of expense2008: 6.4 % of expense2009: 8.7 % of expense2010: 7.6 % of expense2011: 6.4 % of expense2012: 5.9 % of expense2013: 5.2 % of expense2014: 5.3 % of expense2015: 6 % of expense2016: 9.6 % of expense2017: 7 % of expense2018: 9.4 % of expense2019: 9.6 % 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

In 2019, share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago stood at 9.6%.

That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 18.2% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2013.

That places Trinidad and Tobago 55th out of 152 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

Share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year

Annual values for Share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago, 2001 to 2019.
Year % of expense Change
2001 18.2%
2002 17.2% -5.3%
2003 16.5% -4.1%
2004 12.7% -23.1%
2005 11.1% -12.0%
2006 7.2% -35.7%
2007 8.0% +12.1%
2008 6.4% -20.3%
2009 8.7% +36.5%
2010 7.6% -13.2%
2011 6.4% -15.2%
2012 5.9% -8.3%
2013 5.2% -12.1%
2014 5.3% +2.5%
2015 6.0% +12.6%
2016 9.6% +60.0%
2017 7.0% -26.4%
2018 9.4% +34.0%
2019 9.6% +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.8% 6.4% 18.2% 9
2010s 7.2% 5.2% 9.6% 10

Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago

  1. 52 Honduras 10.0% compare
  2. 53 Equatorial Guinea 9.9% compare
  3. 54 Rwanda 9.8% compare
  4. 56 Bolivia 9.5% compare
  5. 57 Nicaragua 9.2% compare
  6. 58 Ethiopia 9.0% compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for Trinidad and Tobago

All data for Trinidad and Tobago →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago?
Share of government spending going to interest payments in Trinidad and Tobago was 9.6% in 2019, 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 Trinidad and Tobago?
The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 2001.
What is the lowest share of government spending going to interest payments recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2013.
How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for share of government spending going to interest payments?
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 55th out of 152 countries with data for 2019.
Is share of government spending going to interest payments rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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 Trinidad and Tobago. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-government-expenditure-going-to-interest-payments/trinidad-and-tobago/

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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.