Do you owe someone money? Or a business? In many cases, it is the legal interest rate which automatically applies to the calculation of late payment interest. The applicable rates are known for the first half of 2024. Unsurprisingly, they are still climbing.
Over the year 2023, legal interest rates continued to rise rapidly, both for debts owed to individuals and for debts owed to businesses and administrations. In twelve months, they have increased by more than 50% between the first and second half of 2023 going from 4.47% to 6.82% for the claims of natural persons not acting for professional needs, and doubled from 2.06% to 4.22% for other cases.
The decree of December 21, 2023 sets the legal interest rate for the debts of individuals not acting for professional needs 8.01% And 5.07% for other cases. These rates are applicable from January 1 to the end of the first half of 2024.
| Period | Rate applicable to individual debts | Rate applicable to professional claims | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1st semester | 8.01% | 5.07% |
| 2023 | 2nd semester | 6.82% | 4.22% |
| 1st semester | 4.47% | 2.06% | |
| 2022 | 2nd semester | 3.15% | 0.77% |
| 1st semester | 3.13% | 0.76% | |
| 2021 | 2nd semester | 3.12% | 0.76% |
| 1st semester | 3.14% | 0.79% | |
| 2020 | 2nd semester | 3.11% | 0.84% |
| 1st semester | 3.15% | 0.87% | |
| 2019 | 2nd semester | 3.26% | 0.87% |
| 1st semester | 3.40% | 0.86% | |
| 2018 | 2nd semester | 3.60% | 0.88% |
| 1st semester | 3.73% | 0.89% | |
| 2017 | 2nd semester | 3.94% | 0.90% |
| 1st semester | 4.16% | 0.90% | |
| 2016 | 2nd semester | 4.35% | 0.93% |
| 1st semester | 4.54% | 1.01% | |
| 2015 | 2nd semester | 4.29% | 0.99% |
| 1st semester | 4.06% | 0.93% | |
| 2014 | 0.04% | ||
| 2013 | 0.04% | ||
| 2012 | 0.71% | ||
| 2011 | 0.38% | ||
| 2010 | 0.65% | ||
| 2009 | 3.79% | ||
| 2008 | 3.99% | ||
| 2007 | 2.95% | ||
| 2006 | 2.11% | ||
| 2005 | 2.05% | ||
| 2004 | 2.27% | ||
| 2003 | 3.29% | ||
| 2002 | 4.26% | ||
| 2001 | 4.26% | ||
| 2000 | 2.74% | ||
| 1999 | 3.47% | ||
| 1998 | 3.36% | ||
Show full table
Legal interest rate: almost 7% for debts repaid to an individual in 2023!
Rates that have never been so high
Updated every six months, these legal interest rates are used calculate the amount of compensatory interest in the event of late payment of a debt. Whether for debts to individuals or businesses, these rates have never been so high since the implementation of the new calculation method in 2015.
The first rate, which passes by 6.82% 8.01%, used if you owe money to an individual, in the event of late payment of alimony for example. The second rate, climbing by 4.22% 5.07% is applied to debts owed to businesses or administrations. The legal interest rate between professionals is used in particular in the event of late repayment following an error in calculating the annual percentage rate (APR) of a loan.