EPFO Maintains 8.25% Interest Rate on EPF Deposits for FY2025-26
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to retain the interest rate on employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for the financial year 2025-26 at 8.25%, marking the second consecutive year at this rate. The decision was made during a meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Interest Rate Approval Process
Following the CBT’s decision, the proposed interest rate will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance for final approval. Once ratified by the government, the 8.25% interest will be credited to the accounts of over 70 million EPFO subscribers.
Recent EPF Interest Rate Trends
The EPFO has adjusted interest rates on EPF deposits over the past several years. In February 2024, the organization retained the 8.25% rate for FY2024-25. Prior to that, a slight increase to 8.25% was implemented for FY2023-24, up from 8.15% in FY2022-23.
Historically, the EPFO lowered the interest rate to 8.10% for FY2021-22, the lowest in over four decades, compared to 8.50% in FY2020-21. Further back, rates were 8.5% for FY2019-20 (down from 8.65% in FY2018-19), 8.65% in FY2016-17, and 8.55% in FY2017-18. The rate stood at 8.8% in FY2015-16, and 8.75% in both FY2013-14 and FY2014-15, exceeding the 8.5% rate of FY2012-13 and 8.25% in FY2011-12.
About the EPFO and the CBT
The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) is the apex decision-making body of the EPFO, a statutory body constituted by the Central Government under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. The CBT’s tenure is five years. The board comprises representatives from the central government, state governments, employers, and employees.
The EPFO manages the retirement savings of millions of Indian workers, providing financial security during their post-employment years through schemes like the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), and Employees’ Deposit-Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI).
Source: Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation