Late Payments: Current Base and Late Payment Interest Rates

Announcement of the Base Interest Rate as of July 1, 2026: Adjustment to 1.52%

The Deutsche Bundesbank calculates the base interest rate in accordance with the statutory requirements of Section 247(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB) and publishes the current rate in the Federal Gazette pursuant to Section 247(2) of the German Civil Code (BGB).

The base interest rate under the German Civil Code (BGB) serves primarily as the basis for calculating interest on late payments, § 288(1), second sentence, BGB. It changes on January 1 and July 1 of each year by the number of percentage points by which its reference rate has risen or fallen since the last adjustment of the base interest rate. The benchmark is the interest rate for the European Central Bank’s most recent main refinancing operation prior to the first calendar day of the relevant half-year.

The fixed interest rate for the European Central Bank’s most recent main refinancing operation on June 30, 2026, is 2.40%, representing an increase of 0.25 percentage points since January 1, 2026, the date relevant for the last change in the base rate (the fixed interest rate for the last main refinancing operation in December 2025 was 2.15%).

Based on this, the base interest rate under the German Civil Code will be 1.52% (previously 1.27%) as of July 1, 2026.

Source: Deutsche Bundesbank