EPFO declares one interest rate a year, but the calculation runs every month on your balance. This page keeps the full year-by-year history in one place — and explains why the interest never shows up in your passbook until 31 March.
EPF Interest Rate History — Year by Year
Rates below are the annual rates declared by EPFO's Central Board of Trustees and ratified by the Finance Ministry. The rate applies to the whole financial year (1 April to 31 March).
| Financial Year | EPF Interest Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 8.25% | Recommended, unchanged |
| 2024-25 | 8.25% | Declared & credited |
| 2023-24 | 8.25% | Raised from 8.15% |
| 2022-23 | 8.15% | — |
| 2021-22 | 8.10% | 40-year low |
| 2020-21 | 8.50% | — |
| 2019-20 | 8.50% | — |
| 2018-19 | 8.65% | — |
| 2017-18 | 8.55% | — |
| 2016-17 | 8.65% | — |
| 2015-16 | 8.80% | — |
| 2013-15 | 8.75% | Two years |
| 2012-13 | 8.50% | — |
| 2011-12 | 8.25% | — |
| 2010-11 | 9.50% | Highest in recent history |
| 2005-10 | 8.50% | Held for five years |
| 2001-05 | 9.50% → 8.50% | Gradual step-down |
| 1990s (peak) | 12.00% | Rates were 11–12% through much of the 1980s–90s |
| 1977-78 | 8.00% | Historic low before 2021-22 |
Older rates are grouped where they held steady across multiple years. Always confirm a specific year against the official EPFO notification for that year.
How EPFO Actually Calculates Your Interest
The published rate is annual, but the maths is monthly. Each month EPFO applies one-twelfth of the annual rate to your running balance. At 8.25%, that's 0.6875% per month.
Here's the part that confuses everyone: although interest is computed every month, it's credited to your passbook only once — on 31 March of the financial year. If you check your balance in, say, December and see no interest, that's normal. The accumulated interest lands at year-end. The best time to check your full balance (contributions plus interest) is early April.
Does a Dormant Account Still Earn Interest?
Yes — with limits. An EPF account becomes inoperative after 36 months without a contribution. Even so, interest continues to accrue until you reach age 58 (or, for post-retirement accounts, for up to three years). After that, the balance stops earning. If you've left a job, this is a strong reason to transfer your PF rather than let it sit idle.
Frequently Asked Questions
