What is legal interest?
Verified 01 July 2026 - Public Service / (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 | 2e semester | 6.84% | 2.75% |
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 payable in the event of late payment ordered by a court decision
- Interest on a loan, if the contract does not provide for overall effective rate (APR) of this loan.
Warning
Legal interest should not be confused with contractual interest nor 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 the basis of capital. This is the case when the amounts have been due for less than a year.
Example :
Judgment on 1er September 2020.
Decision: Order to pay €2,000
Legal interest rate at 2d semester 2020: 3.11% (the creditor is an individual)
If the convicted person agrees to pay on September 30, 2020 (29 days later), the following results are obtained:
(2,000 x 3.11% / 100) = €62.2 and €62.2x 29 / 365 = €4.94
2,000 + 4.94 = €2004.94
The total to be paid is €2,004.94.
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, simple statutory 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 plus is payable as of November 18, 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)
Statutory interest rate plus 2d semester 2019: 8.26%
Statutory interest rate plus 1er semester 2020: 8.15%
The amount of the statutory interest payable for each period shall be calculated and added as follows:
- Simple statutory 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 are added to the initial capital to produce interest themselves. This capitalization can be provided for in the contract or decided by the judge. They may 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 statutory interest plus 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
Method of calculation
Judgment and legal interest: Articles 1231-6 and 1231-7
Judgment and legal interest: Articles 1231-6 and 1231-7
Computation of deadlines
Service Public
Banque de France
Legifrance
Banque de France