What is legal interest?
Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
The legal interest corresponds to a sum of money that the debtor shall be creditor in case of late payment.
Its rate changes every semester :
The creditor is an individual who is not acting for professional purposes | Other cases (including creditor is a professional) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
2026 | 1er semester | 6.67% | 2.62% |
2025 | 2e semester | 6.65% | 2.76% |
2025 | 1er semester | 7.21% | 3.71% |
2024 | 2e semester | 8.16% | 4.92% |
2024 | 1er semester | 8.01% | 5.07% |
2023 | 2e semester | 6.82% | 4.22% |
2023 | 1er semester | 4.47% | 2.06% |
2022 | 2e semester | 3.15% | 0.77% |
2022 | 1er semester | 3.13% | 0.76% |
2021 | 2e semester | 3.12% | 0.76% |
2021 | 1er semester | 3.14% | 0.79% |
2020 | 2e semester | 3.11% | 0.84% |
2020 | 1er semester | 3.15% | 0.87% |
2019 | 2e semester | 3.26% | 0.87% |
2019 | 1er semester | 3.40% | 0.86% |
2018 | 2e semester | 3.60% | 0.88% |
2018 | 1er semester | 3.73% | 0.89% |
2017 | 2e semester | 3.94% | 0.90% |
2017 | 1er semester | 4.16% | 0.90% |
2016 | 2e semester | 4.35% | 0.93% |
2016 | 1er semester | 4.54% | 1.01% |
2015 | 2e semester | 4.29% | 0.99% |
2015 | 1er semester | 4.06% | 0.93% |
The statutory interest rate is used to calculate the following:
- Interest on sums to be paid in the event of late payment ordered by a court decision
- Interest on a loan, if the contract does not provide for percentage rate of charge (TEG) of this loan.
Warning
Legal interest should not be confused with the contractual interest or with the indexing clause, which are distinct elements of the legal interest.
The interest due by the debtor is called simple interests when they are calculated solely on capital. This is the case when the sums have been due for less than a year.
Example :
Judgment on 25 June 2020, served on 1er September 2020 and becoming applicable on the same day.
Decision: Order to pay €2,000
Legal interest rate at 2d half-year 2020: 3.11% (the creditor is an individual)
If the convicted person agrees to pay on September 30, 2020, the following results are obtained:
(2,000 x 3.11% / 100) = €62.2 and €62.2x 30 / 365 = €5.11
2,000 + 5.11 = €2005.11
The total to be paid is €2,005.11.
Reminder: even if 2020 is a leap year, 365 should be used in the calculation.
When the amount due is not paid within 2 months of the date of application of the judgment, legal interest is payable over the period of the first 2 months. And increased interest are to be paid beyond these 2 months.
Since 2015, the increased rate corresponds to the simple statutory interest rate, increased by 5 points:
The creditor is an individual who is not acting for professional purposes | Other cases (including creditor is a professional) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
2026 | 1er semester | 11.67% | 7.62% |
2025 | 2e semester | 11.65% | 7.76% |
2025 | 1er semester | 12.21% | 8.71% |
2024 | 2e semester | 13.16% | 9.92% |
2024 | 1er semester | 13.01% | 10.07% |
2023 | 2e semester | 11.82% | 9.22% |
2023 | 1er semester | 9.47% | 7.06% |
2022 | 2e semester | 8.15% | 5.77% |
2022 | 1er semester | 8.13% | 5.76% |
2021 | 2e semester | 8.12% | 5.76% |
2021 | 1er semester | 8.14% | 5.79% |
2020 | 2e semester | 8.11% | 5.84% |
2020 | 1er semester | 8.15% | 5.87% |
2019 | 2e semester | 8.26% | 5.87% |
2019 | 1er semester | 8.40% | 5.86% |
2018 | 2e semester | 8.60% | 5.88% |
2018 | 1er semester | 8.73% | 5.89% |
2017 | 2e semester | 8.94% | 5.90% |
2017 | 1er semester | 9.16% | 5.90% |
2016 | 2e semester | 9.35% | 5.93% |
2016 | 1er semester | 9.54% | 6.01% |
2015 | 2e semester | 9.29% | 5.99% |
2015 | 1er semester | 9.06% | 5.93% |
Example :
Date of judgment: 1er September 2019, served on September 17, 2019, and becoming applicable on the same day.
Decision: Order to pay €2,000
The period corresponding to the payment of the simple statutory interest (first 2 months late) ends on 17 November 2019. The statutory interest is payable from 18 November 2019.
The sentenced person undertakes to pay on 10 April 2020.
Simple legal interest rate of 2d semester 2019: 3.26% (the creditor is an individual)
Legal interest rate increased by 2d semester 2019: 8.26%
Legal interest rate increased by 1er half-year 2020: 8.15%
The amount of the statutory interest payable for each period shall be calculated and added as follows:
- Amount of simple legal interest from September 17 to November 17, 2019:
(€2,000 x 62 x 3.26%) / 365 = €11.08 - Amount of statutory interest increased from November 18 to December 31, 2019:
(€2,000 x 44 x 8.26%) / 365 = €19.91 - Amount of statutory interest increased for 2020:
(€2,000 x 100 x 8.15%) / 365 = €44.66
The total amount of legal interest is: €11.08 + €19.91 + €44.66 = €75.65
The total to be paid is: €2,000 + €75.65 = €2,075.65
Reminder: even if 2020 is a leap year, you must use 365 in the calculation.
The interest due is capitalized (we speak compound interest) when they add to the initial capital to produce interest themselves. This capitalization may be provided for in the contract or decided by the judge. They can only be used for a claim exceeding 1 year.
Example :
Using the example above, the amount of legal interest due for 2019 must be calculated and then included in the capital for the calculation of 2020. The calculation to be made is as follows:
- Amount of simple and increased legal interest due for 2019:
€11.08 + €19.91 = €30.99 - In 2020, the amount due becomes:
€2,000 + €30.99 = €2,030.99 - Amount of the increased legal interest due for 2020:
(€2,030.99 x 100 x 8.15%) / 365 = €45.35
The debtor must repay: €2,030.99 + €45.35 = €2,076.34
Reminder: even if 2020 is a leap year, you must use 365 in the calculation.
Statutory interest rate and statutory interest rate plus
Calculation method
Judgment and legal interest: articles 1231-6 and 1231-7
Service Public
Banque de France
Legifrance
Banque de France