Interest Payments on the Federal Debt: A Primer

Publication Date: December 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Banking and finance

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Abstract:

Of the three broad categories of federal spending, the only category that cannot be reduced by legislative action is net interest payments. Net interest payments accounted for about 7% of federal spending between 1962 and the late 1970s. With the high interest rates in the late 1970s and the large budget deficits in the 1980s, net interest payments eventually rose to 15% of federal spending. The low interest rates combined with budget discipline in the 1990s reduced net interest payments back down to 7% of federal outlays by 2003. However, net interest payments have recently increased and are projected to continue increasing in the near-term. This report will be updated annually.