EPF Interest Rate History (2010-2026) + How to Check PF Balance
Year-by-year EPF interest rate table from 2010-11 to 2025-26, the current 8.25% rate, how interest is calculated, 4 ways to check your PF balance, contribution split, and the ₹2.5L taxable-interest rule.
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EPF interest rate history (2010-2026) + how to check your PF balance
The EPF interest rate for 2025-26 is 8.25% — the same rate as 2024-25, retained at the 239th Central Board of Trustees (CBT) meeting chaired by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Once the Ministry of Finance issues formal concurrence, EPFO will credit the interest to accounts, typically between June and August.
EPF rates have moved more than most people realise: 9.5% in 2010-11, down to 8.1% in 2021-22 — the lowest in over four decades — and back up since. That history matters if you're trying to understand what your PF corpus has actually compounded at over a career.
Below: the year-by-year table, how the interest calculation works, four ways to check your balance, and the tax rule that catches people off guard.
EPF interest rate history: 2010-11 to 2025-26
The table below uses rates declared by EPFO's Central Board of Trustees and subsequently ratified by the Ministry of Finance. For years before 2010-11, the official historical record is published by EPFO directly.
| Financial year | EPF interest rate |
|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 9.50% |
| 2011-12 | 8.25% |
| 2012-13 | 8.50% |
| 2013-14 | 8.75% |
| 2014-15 | 8.75% |
| 2015-16 | 8.80% |
| 2016-17 | 8.65% |
| 2017-18 | 8.55% |
| 2018-19 | 8.65% |
| 2019-20 | 8.50% |
| 2020-21 | 8.50% |
| 2021-22 | 8.10% |
| 2022-23 | 8.15% |
| 2023-24 | 8.25% |
| 2024-25 | 8.25% |
| 2025-26 | 8.25% (declared, pending MoF notification) |
Sources: EPFO official interest rate document, PIB press release on 239th CBT meeting
The 2010-11 rate of 9.5% came after a period of elevated small-savings rates; by 2011-12 it dropped a full 125 basis points. The 2021-22 cut to 8.1% was the sharpest in decades and triggered considerable public pushback. Since then the rate has edged up in three small steps back to 8.25%.
The rate has stayed at or above 8% every year since 1977-78. That 47-year streak through recessions, high inflation, and a pandemic is why EPF is treated as the floor for salaried retirement savings in India.
How EPF interest is calculated
Interest is credited annually at the end of each financial year (March 31), but the calculation works on a monthly closing balance. The formula:
Monthly interest = (Running balance at end of month × annual rate) ÷ 12
These monthly interest amounts accumulate through the year and are added to the account in a single credit at year-end.
What this means in practice: contributions made in April earn interest for 12 months; contributions made in March earn interest for just one month. So front-loading your voluntary PF contributions early in the year (if you make VPF top-ups) gives you marginally more interest than contributing everything in the last quarter.
The 2025-26 rate works out to approximately 0.688% per month on the running balance.
Contribution split: where your 12% actually goes
Both you and your employer contribute 12% of your basic salary plus dearness allowance every month. But the employer's 12% is not entirely in EPF.
| Contribution | Destination | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | EPF account | 12% of basic + DA |
| Employer | EPF account | 3.67% of basic + DA |
| Employer | Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) | 8.33% of basic + DA, capped at ₹1,250/month |
The EPS cap matters: if your basic salary exceeds roughly ₹15,000/month, the employer still contributes only ₹1,250 to EPS, and the balance (beyond the ₹1,250 cap) stays in EPF. The EPS portion earns no interest — it funds your pension at retirement under the EPF Act.
So on a ₹30,000 basic salary, your total monthly EPF inflow is ₹3,600 (employee) + ₹1,101 (employer EPF portion) = ₹4,701 per month, plus ₹1,250 moving into EPS.
Run the full projection for your own numbers at the EPF calculator.
The ₹2.5 lakh taxable-interest rule
Before April 2021, all EPF interest was tax-free. The Finance Act 2021 changed this for high contributors.
The rule: Interest on employee EPF contributions above ₹2.5 lakh per year is taxable as income in the year it accrues. The threshold is ₹5 lakh per year if your employer makes no contribution (i.e., for VPF-only accounts or government employees in certain schemes).
This affects very few salaried employees on standard payroll. At a 12% contribution rate, you'd need a basic salary of roughly ₹1.74 lakh per month before the ₹2.5L threshold is crossed. For most people, EPF interest remains fully tax-free.
If you do cross the threshold — typically because you've made large Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF) contributions — the taxable interest is added to your income and taxed at your slab rate. The contributions themselves remain deductible under Section 80C up to ₹1.5 lakh per year.
For how EPF sits within Section 80C instruments and government-backed savings, see best government savings schemes India 2026 and PPF vs FD 2026.
How to check your PF balance: 4 methods
You need your UAN (Universal Account Number) for most of these. Your UAN is on your payslip or was sent to your registered mobile when your employer first registered you.
EPFO member portal
Go to passbook.epfindia.gov.in, log in with your UAN and password, and click "View Passbook" for the relevant member ID. You get a full month-by-month breakdown of employer and employee contributions, plus interest credits. This is the most detailed view — useful if you want to verify that your employer is actually depositing PF on time.
UMANG app
Open the UMANG app, go to Services > Social Security > EPFO, then select "View Passbook" under Employee Centric Services. You'll verify via OTP to your registered mobile. The app shows the same passbook data as the portal, in a cleaner format.
Missed call
Give a missed call to 9966044425 from your UAN-registered mobile number. The call disconnects after two rings and you receive an SMS with your member ID, last contribution amount, and total balance. No internet needed.
SMS
Send EPFOHO UAN ENG to 7738299899 from your registered mobile number. Replace "ENG" with your preferred language code (HIN for Hindi, TAM for Tamil, etc.) to get the reply in that language.
For all four methods, the key requirement is that your mobile number is linked and active in EPFO's records. If you've changed your mobile number since registration, you'll need to update it through your employer or at an EPFO service centre before the SMS and missed-call methods work.
What the 8.25% actually means for your corpus
At 8.25% compounding annually, a corpus doubles in approximately 8.7 years (Rule of 72). Over a 30-year career that adds up — but the actual number depends heavily on whether your employer consistently deposits PF on time and whether you avoid pulling money out early.
Early EPF withdrawal (before 5 years of continuous service) makes the entire amount taxable. After 5 years, withdrawals on retirement or under EPFO's specific withdrawal categories are tax-free.
The EPF calculator lets you model your own accumulation given your current salary, contribution rate, and years to retirement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EPF interest rate for 2025-26?
The Central Board of Trustees declared 8.25% for FY 2025-26 at its 239th meeting. This is the same rate as 2024-25. The interest will be credited to accounts once the Ministry of Finance issues formal concurrence, expected between June and August 2026.
When is EPF interest credited to my account?
EPFO calculates interest monthly on the closing balance but credits it in a single entry at the end of the financial year (March 31). In practice, the actual credit to member accounts often happens a few months after the CBT declares the rate and after Ministry of Finance notification — sometimes as late as August or September of the same calendar year.
Why did the EPF rate fall to 8.1% in 2021-22?
EPFO cited falling yields on its debt portfolio, specifically lower returns on government securities, and the impact of higher-than-expected withdrawals during the pandemic. The 2021-22 cut of 40 basis points was the steepest since the 1970s. The rate has since recovered in three steps to 8.25%.
Can I withdraw my EPF before retirement?
Yes, under specific conditions. EPFO allows partial withdrawals for medical treatment, housing, marriage, or education — each with caps and eligibility requirements. A full withdrawal before 5 years of continuous service makes the entire amount taxable. After 5 years, retirement withdrawals are tax-free.
Is EPF interest taxable?
For most salaried employees, EPF interest is fully tax-free. Interest becomes taxable only on the portion of your employee contribution above ₹2.5 lakh per year. At standard 12% contribution rates, this threshold applies only if your basic salary exceeds roughly ₹1.74 lakh per month.
What happens to my EPF if I change jobs?
Your UAN stays the same across jobs. When you change employers, your new employer links to the same UAN and contributions continue into the same account (or a new PF member ID under the same UAN, depending on the employer). You can also transfer the old PF balance to the new account via the EPFO member portal. If you leave employment without transferring or withdrawing, the account becomes "inoperative" after 3 years with no contributions — but it still earns interest until age 58.
This article is for informational purposes. EPF rules and rates are set by EPFO and may be revised. For personalised advice, consult a SEBI-registered financial advisor.