Interest rate statistics constitutes an important segment of the BiH financial sector statistics, as it offers a comprehensive, detailed and harmonized statistical overview of the levels of nominal interest rates in BH, presented in annual terms, and it represents a precondition of analysis of monetary developments and stability of the financial systems. Banks in BH form lending and deposit interest rates in accordance with their business policies, while penalty rates are established by regulations.

Since 1998, the BH Central Bank has compiled and published data on lending interest rates of commercial banks on loans issued and deposit interest rates on deposits received. Since that time to the present, the interest rate statistics has been constantly developed and improved in line with institutional changes in the BH financial sector.

At the outset, since 1998, the CBBH interest rate statistics published only the data on the range of interest rates, from minimum to maximum, for all sectors.

Since January 2002, in accordance with the IMF-recommended methodology, the CBBH began collecting the data on average weighted interest rates on new short- and long-term loans to private enterprises in KM and new demand deposits and time and savings deposits in KM, with only 4 indicators being published.

Since September 2004, the number of indicators was increased to 8, and already in January 2007, the extent of this statistical segment expanded to cover 26 indicators.

Further improvements to existing interest rate statistics of CBBH implemented, in accordance with the interest rate methodology applied by the eurozone countries, based on the European Central Bank (ECB) regulations. These activities were initiated within the framework of IPA 2008 technical assistance project funded by the European Union and implemented by the European Central Bank and seven central banks of the Eurosystem. Compilation of new interest rate statistics starts with the data for January 2012. Publication of the new interest rate statistics, with the accompanying Methodological Guidelines and reporting form, done after a reliable data series of 12 months is established, which will mean termination of the previous method of reporting interest rate statistics with 26 indicators.

Interest rates statistics

• Reporting form for interest rates statistics
• Methodology for compiling and presenting statistics of interest rates