The deposit interest rate is one of the most direct country-level indicators of the nominal return banks pay on deposits. World Bank series FR.INR.DPST is defined as the rate paid by commercial or similar banks for demand, time, or savings deposits. The definition is broad enough that national series do not always represent identical products. Maturities, account conditions, averaging methods, compounding conventions, and reporting practices can differ, so equal percentages should not be assumed to describe identical bank offers.
The latest available table contains 152 countries and separately reported areas, but reference years range from 1989 to 2025. The main map and ranking therefore use only the 70 observations actually dated 2025. Their unweighted median is 3.32% and their simple mean is 5.16%. Korea is 2.73%, slightly below the median. Very high observations in Türkiye at 57.60% and Argentina at 34.86% pull the mean well above the median.
Table of Contents
What the deposit interest rate measures
World Bank metadata defines the deposit interest rate as the rate paid by commercial or similar banks for demand, time, or savings deposits. It is reported as an annual percentage and the source is the IMF International Financial Statistics database. The series belongs to the financial-sector interest-rate topic and is intended to provide a broad national measure rather than a quote for one specific retail product.
Cross-country comparability has an important limitation. Countries use different reporting formats, samples, averaging methods, compounding formulas, and rate definitions. One country’s series may be closer to a time-deposit rate while another may represent a broader mix. The map is therefore useful for identifying large differences in nominal deposit-rate environments, but a tenth-of-a-percentage-point ranking should not be treated as a comparison of identical products.
The 2025 median is 3.32% across 70 observations
Giving each country or area one equal observation, the median is 3.32% and the simple mean is 5.16%. The first quartile is about 1.54% and the third quartile about 6.13%. Half of the observations lie roughly between those two values. The mean is much higher than the median because Türkiye and Argentina create a long upper tail in the distribution.
| 2025 deposit-rate band | Countries / areas | Share of 70 |
|---|---|---|
| Below 1% | 11 | 15.7% |
| 1% to <2% | 14 | 20.0% |
| 2% to <4% | 14 | 20.0% |
| 4% to <8% | 21 | 30.0% |
| 8% to <15% | 8 | 11.4% |
| 15% or more | 2 | 2.9% |
The largest group is 4% to below 8%, with 21 observations. Fourteen are between 1% and below 2%, another 14 are between 2% and below 4%, and 11 are below 1%. Eight fall between 8% and below 15%. Only two observations are at 15% or above, but those two values are large enough to have a substantial effect on the mean.
Türkiye at 57.60% and Argentina at 34.86% form a very high upper tail
| Country / area | 2025 deposit interest rate |
|---|---|
| Turkiye | 57.60% |
| Argentina | 34.86% |
| Honduras | 12.44% |
| Madagascar | 12.08% |
| Georgia | 10.59% |
| Ukraine | 9.95% |
| Azerbaijan | 9.36% |
| Bangladesh | 9.35% |
| Colombia | 8.96% |
| Armenia | 8.03% |
| Angola | 7.98% |
| South Africa | 7.42% |
| Uruguay | 7.30% |
| Sierra Leone | 7.04% |
| Belarus | 6.76% |
Türkiye is the highest observation at 57.60%, followed by Argentina at 34.86%. Honduras is 12.44%, Madagascar 12.08%, Georgia 10.59%, Ukraine 9.95%, Azerbaijan 9.36%, Bangladesh 9.35%, and Colombia 8.96%. These values describe high nominal deposit-rate environments. They do not show how much purchasing power a saver ultimately gains.
Inflation can be just as important as the nominal rate. If consumer prices rise faster than a deposit balance, the real purchasing-power return can be weak or negative. Exchange-rate movements also matter for anyone evaluating returns in another currency. Taxes, deposit-insurance arrangements, capital controls, and bank credit risk can further change the practical outcome. The table is therefore a statistical comparison, not a ranking of attractive savings destinations.
Eleven 2025 observations are below 1%
| Country / area | 2025 deposit interest rate |
|---|---|
| South Sudan | 0.08% |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | 0.20% |
| Bulgaria | 0.25% |
| Montenegro | 0.27% |
| Vanuatu | 0.31% |
| Brunei Darussalam | 0.31% |
| Macao SAR, China | 0.32% |
| Timor-Leste | 0.46% |
| Bahamas, The | 0.59% |
| Guyana | 0.78% |
| Grenada | 0.95% |
| Thailand | 1.15% |
| St. Lucia | 1.18% |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 1.24% |
| Cambodia | 1.29% |
South Sudan is 0.08%, Hong Kong SAR 0.20%, Bulgaria 0.25%, Montenegro 0.27%, Vanuatu 0.31%, Brunei Darussalam 0.31%, and Macao SAR 0.32%. Thailand is 1.15% and Cambodia 1.29%. These are low nominal rates paid on the deposit series reported for each economy, but they should not be translated into a general judgment about economic development or banking-system quality.
Deposit rates can reflect monetary conditions, inflation expectations, bank funding structures, competition for deposits, and broader financial-market arrangements. The single 2025 value does not identify which mechanism is dominant in a particular country. Explaining changes would require a time series and additional evidence such as policy rates, inflation, lending rates, and bank-funding data.
Korea is 2.73%, Mexico 2.55%, and Indonesia 5.41%
| Country / area | Year | Deposit interest rate |
|---|---|---|
| Korea, Rep. | 2025 | 2.73% |
| Mexico | 2025 | 2.55% |
| Indonesia | 2025 | 5.41% |
| South Africa | 2025 | 7.42% |
| Turkiye | 2025 | 57.60% |
| Colombia | 2025 | 8.96% |
| Argentina | 2025 | 34.86% |
| Bangladesh | 2025 | 9.35% |
| Ukraine | 2025 | 9.95% |
| Georgia | 2025 | 10.59% |
| Armenia | 2025 | 8.03% |
| Angola | 2025 | 7.98% |
| Uruguay | 2025 | 7.30% |
| Thailand | 2025 | 1.15% |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | 2025 | 0.20% |
Korea records 2.73% in 2025. Mexico is 2.55%, Indonesia 5.41%, South Africa 7.42%, and Colombia 8.96%. Thailand is lower at 1.15% and Hong Kong SAR at 0.20%. Türkiye and Argentina stand far above the rest at 57.60% and 34.86% respectively. Even within a common reference year, the nominal deposit-rate environment differs dramatically.
Small gaps should still be interpreted cautiously because the national series are not guaranteed to use identical account terms. The World Bank explicitly notes that the terms and conditions attached to deposit rates differ by country, limiting comparability. Large differences are informative; extremely precise rank ordering is less defensible unless the underlying national definitions are also examined.
China, Brazil and Russia are dated 2024; Japan, France, the United Kingdom and Australia are older
| Country | Latest observation year | Latest deposit rate |
|---|---|---|
| China | 2024 | 1.50% |
| Brazil | 2024 | 7.70% |
| Russian Federation | 2024 | 14.62% |
| Japan | 2017 | 0.32% |
| France | 2017 | 0.79% |
| United Kingdom | 1998 | 4.48% |
| Australia | 2019 | 1.56% |
China’s latest value in the source table is 1.50% in 2024, Brazil 7.70%, and the Russian Federation 14.62%. Japan is 0.32% in 2017, France 0.79% in 2017, Australia 1.56% in 2019, and the United Kingdom 4.48% in 1998. Those values are valid as the latest available observation for each country, but they do not represent the same moment as the 2025 observations.
For that reason, the main ranking, mean, median, and map use only the 70 rows dated 2025. A grey country on the map should not be read as a zero deposit rate. It may simply lack a 2025 observation, or a small economy may not be represented as a separate polygon in the low-resolution boundary layer. Older country values are better treated as dated reference points rather than positions in a current ranking.
Deposit rates and lending rates answer different questions
The deposit interest rate is the price banks pay depositors for funds, while the lending rate is a representative rate charged on loans to the private sector. The difference between the two can provide information about the structure of bank pricing, but a deposit rate alone cannot be used to calculate bank profitability. Loan rates incorporate credit risk, operating costs, maturity, collateral, and product type.
The World Bank also provides an interest-rate-spread series that compares lending and deposit rates. A rise in deposit rates does not automatically compress bank margins because lending rates may move at the same time. A fuller country comparison can therefore combine deposit rates, lending rates, the lending-deposit spread, and inflation on a matched reference year.
A high deposit rate does not guarantee a high real return
FR.INR.DPST is a nominal interest rate. A 10% deposit rate can still produce a weak real return if prices rise by more than 10% over the relevant period. Conversely, a low nominal rate in a very low-inflation environment can be less different in real terms than the nominal gap suggests. A precise real deposit return would require a compatible inflation measure, tax treatment, account conditions, and compounding assumptions.
Currency risk is another reason not to treat the map as an investment guide. A high rate paid in local currency can be offset by depreciation against another currency. Legal access, taxes, deposit insurance, transfer restrictions, and financial-institution risk also matter. The purpose here is limited to comparing reported nominal deposit rates, not to recommend cross-border deposits.
Source and comparison method
The statistical source is World Bank World Development Indicators series FR.INR.DPST, Deposit interest rate (%). The World Bank identifies the IMF International Financial Statistics database as the source. Its definition covers rates paid by commercial or similar banks on demand, time, or savings deposits and explicitly warns that differences in terms and conditions limit cross-country comparability.
The main statistics use only the 70 observations dated 2025. The mean and median give each country or area equal weight; they are not weighted by deposit balances, GDP, or population. Missing values are not replaced with zeros, and observations from 2024 or earlier are excluded from the 2025 ranking. The map display clips values above 15% only for visual readability; original values are preserved in every table and calculation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the World Bank deposit interest rate measure?
It is the rate paid by commercial or similar banks on demand, time, or savings deposits. Product terms and statistical methods differ across countries, which limits exact comparability.
What is Korea’s deposit interest rate in 2025?
Korea's 2025 World Bank FR.INR.DPST observation is about 2.73%.
Does a higher deposit rate mean a better return for savers?
Not necessarily. The indicator is a nominal rate. Inflation, exchange rates, taxes, deposit insurance, bank risk, and account conditions can all affect the practical or real return.
Why does the main ranking use 70 observations instead of all 152 latest values?
The 152 latest country and area observations span 1989–2025. The main comparison uses only the 70 rows dated 2025 to avoid mixing very different reference years.
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