U.S. Interest Rates Since 1954 🏦

What We're Showing

This chart shows the U.S. interest rate (federal funds rate) set by the Federal Reserve since 1954, with projections through to the end of 2025.

It uses data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the latest Summary of Economic Projections released September 17, 2025.

Key Takeaways

• Interest rates peaked above 19% in the early 1980s during the “Volcker Shock”, the highest point in the 70-year span.
• Rates reached their lowest to near zero during both the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, to support the U.S. economy.
• The Federal Reserve did their first cut of this year of 25 basis points in September, and projects rates to decline to 3.50–3.75% by the end of 2025.