Calculation of legal interest
Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
When a court decision requires a person to pay an amount and that person pays the amount late, he must pay additional statutory interest. The total amount to be paid varies according to the terms of the judgment, the date of actual payment of the amount due and the value of the statutory interest rate. We explain the regulations to know.
It exists 2 types of legal interests:
- The simple legal interest rate, which is used when the amount due is paid within 2 months after the date of application of the judgment
- The statutory interest rate increased, which is used in other cases. Since 2015, the increased rate corresponds to the simple statutory interest rate, increased by 5 points.
Simple interests
Simple legal interests run from the day of the decision, unless another date is indicated in the court decision.
Statutory interest is due when the sentenced person pays the sum within 2 months of the date of application of the judgment.
To calculate simple statutory interest that is due, multiply the amount due by the number of days late and by the statutory interest rate applicable over the period.
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% |
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.
Increased interest
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 is payable beyond these 2 months.
If the judgment is applicable immediately (provisional execution), the period of 2 months runs from the date of meaning of judgment.
If the judgment is applicable after a time limit (in the case of a judgment which may be appealed or opposed), the time limit of 2 months runs from the day on which the remedies expire.
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% |
To calculate the statutory interest payable, the amount due must be multiplied by the number of days of delay and by the statutory interest rate applicable over the relevant period. The result obtained must then be divided by 365.
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 judgment may provide for the capitalization of interest, that is to say the obligation to incorporate, at the end of each year, the interest on the capital.
Here is an example of calculation of statutory interest with capitalizable interest (called compound legal interest):
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