Australia's central bank raised interest rates for a record third successive month earlier in December, pulling further back from emergency lows as the economy gallops ahead of its peers in the developed world.

As a result the average rate set by 11 leading central banks -- the five that decide monetary policy for the G7 nations plus six other major banks -- rose to 1.05 percent from 1.03 percent.

Also in October, Norway's central bank ordered the first interest rate increase in Europe since the global financial crisis bit hard a year ago and signalled more tightening to come as the economy recovers from a mild downturn.

On May 7, the European Central Bank cut its main interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.0 percent. As a result, the average rate set by central banks of the Group of Seven nations fell to 0.40 percent from 0.45 percent.

For interest rate changes in 2008 please double click on [ID:nL2303706]

The following table of average rates is aimed at reflecting the movement of official policy rates during the economic cycle rather than actual borrowing costs.

2009
MONTH: END07..END08..01...02...03...04...05...06...07...08...09...10...11...12
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G7 AVG: 3.70 1.25 0.95 0.85 0.55 0.45 0.40 - - - - - - -
11 AVG: 4.52 2.25 1.91 1.63 1.32 1.13 1.03 1.00 0.98 0.96 - 0.98 1.03 1.05
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FED 4.25 0/0.25 - - - - - - - - - - - -
BOJ 0.50 0.10 - - - - - - - - - - - -
ECB 4.00 2.50 2.00 - 1.5 1.25 1.0 - - - - - - -
BOE 5.50 2.00 1.50 1.0 0.5 - - - - - - - - -
BOC 4.25 1.50 1.00 - 0.5 0.25 - - - - - - - -
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SNB 2.75 0.50 - - 0.25 - - - - - - - - -
RBA 6.75 4.25 - 3.25 - 3.0 - - - - - 3.25 3.5 3.75
RBNZ 8.25 5.00 3.5 - 3.0 2.5 - - - - - - - -
RIKSBK 4.00 2.00 - 1.0 - 0.5 - - 0.25 - - - - -
NORWAY 5.25 3.00 - 2.5 2.0 - 1.5 1.25 - - - 1.50 - -
DENMARK 4.25 3.75 3.0 - 2.25 2.0 1.65 1.55 - 1.35* - - - -
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NO. OF RATE
CHANGES: 2008: 54 5 4 7 6 3 2 1 2 - 2 1 -
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MONTH: END07..END08..01...02...03...04...05...06...07...08...09...10...11...12
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EASTERN EUROPE:
POLAND 5.00 5.00 4.25 4.0 3.75 - - 3.5 - - - - - -
HUNG 7.50 10.0 9.5 - - - - - 8.5 8.0 7.5 7.0 6.5 -
CZECH 3.50 2.25 - 1.75 - - 1.5 - - 1.25 - - - 1.0
RUSSIA 10.0 13.0 - - - 12.5 12.0 11.5 11.0 10.75 10.5 9.5 9.0 -
UKRAINE 8.0 12.0 - - - - - 11.0 - 10.25 - - - -
ROMANIA 7.5 10.25 - 10.0 - - 9.5 9.0 - 8.5 8.0 - - -

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LATIN AMERICA:
BRAZIL 11.25 13.75 12.75 - 11.25 10.25 - 9.25 8.75 - - - - -
MEXICO 7.5 8.25 7.75 7.5 6.75 6.0 5.25 4.75 4.5 - - - - -
CHILE 6.0 8.25 7.25 4.75 2.25 1.75 1.25 0.75 0.5 - - - - -
COLOMBIA 9.5 9.5 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.5 - - 4.0 - 3.5 -
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ASIA
KOREA 5.00 3.00 2.5 2.0 - - - - - - - - - -
THAI 3.25 2.75 2.0 1.5 - 1.25 - - - - - - - -
PHIL 5.25 5.5 5.0 - 4.75 4.5 4.25 - 4.0 - - - - -
TAIWAN 3.375 2.0 1.5 1.25 - - - - - - - - - -
INDS 8.00 9.25 8.75 8.25 7.75 7.5 7.25 7.0 6.75 6.50 - - - -
INDIA 7.75 6.5 5.5 - 5.0 4.75 - - - - - - - -
CHINA 7.47 5.31 - - - - - - - - - - - -
(For more Asian rates please double click on [ID:nASIAINT])
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MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA:
SARB 11.0 11.5 - 10.5 9.5 8.5 7.5 - - 7.0 - - - -
ISRAEL 4.25 1.75 1.0 0.75 0.5 - - - - 0.75 - - - -
TURKEY 15.75 15.00 13.00 11.5 10.5 9.75 9.25 8.75 8.25 7.75 7.25 6.75 6.50 -
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MONTH:DEC07..DEC08..01...02...03...04...05...06...07...08...09...10...11...12

* The Danish central bank cut interest rates twice by 10 bps in August, 2009.

NOTES:

If rates change more than once a month, the last rate for that month is
listed.

The Swiss National Bank targets a range for the three-month Swiss franc
LIBOR rate. It currently targets roughly the midpoint of that range.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTEREST RATES. (All the interest rates are policy rates identified by each
central bank):

GROUP OF SEVEN CENTRAL BANKS:

U.S FEDERAL RESERVE = federal funds rate

BANK OF JAPAN = overnight call rate

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK = refi rate

BANK OF ENGLAND = bank rate

BANK OF CANADA = overnight funding rate

MAJOR CENTRAL BANKS:

SWISS NATIONAL BANK = 3-month Swiss Libor

RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA = cash rate

RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND = cash rate

SWEDISH RIKSBANK = repo rate

NORGES BANK = deposit rate

DENMARKS NATIONALBANK = Lending rate

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE:

NATIONAL BANK OF POLAND (NBP): 28-day intervention rate

NATIONAL BANK OF HUNGARY: (NBH) 2-week deposit rate

CZECH NATIONAL BANK (CNB): 2-week repo rate

CENTRAL BANK OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION (CBR): refinancing rate

NATIONAL BANK OF UKRAINE (NBU): discount rate

NATIONAL BANK OF ROMANIA (NBR): monetary policy rate

LATIN AMERICA:

CENTRAL BANK OF BRASIL (BCB): Selic rate

CENTRAL BANK OF CHILE (BCC): Discount rate

BANK OF MEXICO: Overnight lending rate

CENTRAL BANK OF COLOMBIA: Intervention rate

ASIA:

BANK OF KOREA: Overnight call rate

BANK OF THAILAND: 1-day repurchase (repo) rate.

CENTRAL BANK OF PHILIPPINES: Overnight borrowing rate

CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA (TAIWAN): Discount rate

BANK INDONESIA: Bank Indonesia (BI) reference rate

RESERVE BANK OF INDIA: Repo rate

PEOPLE'S BANK OF CHINA: One-year yuan lending rate

MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA:

SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK: Repurchase rate

BANK OF ISRAEL: Short-term lending rate

CENTRAL BANK OF TURKEY: Overnight borrowing

Poland Russia China Israel