Every post office savings scheme rate in one place — confirmed for the October–December 2026 quarter, announced by the Finance Ministry on 30 September 2026. This is the 10th consecutive quarter with no change, continuing a freeze that’s now stretched back to January 2024.
| Scheme | Interest Rate | Compounding |
|---|---|---|
| Post Office Savings Account | 4.0% | Annual |
| 1-Year Time Deposit (TD) | 6.9% | Quarterly |
| 2-Year Time Deposit (TD) | 7.0% | Quarterly |
| 3-Year Time Deposit (TD) | 7.1% | Quarterly |
| 5-Year Time Deposit (TD) | 7.5% | Quarterly |
| 5-Year Recurring Deposit (RD) | 6.7% | Quarterly |
| Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS) | 7.4% | Monthly payout, no compounding |
| Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) | 8.2% | Quarterly payout |
| Public Provident Fund (PPF) | 7.1% | Annual |
| National Savings Certificate (NSC) | 7.7% | Annual (reinvested) |
| Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) | 7.5% (doubles in 115 months) | Annual |
| Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) | 8.2% | Annual |
These rates apply from 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026, confirmed via an Office Memorandum from the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. If you’re reading this after December 2026, check whether a new quarter’s rates have been announced before relying on these figures.
The government reviews these rates every quarter, weighing factors like government bond yields and prevailing market conditions. A 10-quarter freeze — unchanged since January 2024 — is genuinely unusual given how much bank deposit and lending rates have moved in that same window. We’ve covered why this gap is actually worrying the RBI, since it’s creating a real pull of deposits away from banks toward post office schemes.
A flat rate table doesn’t tell you which scheme is right for you — that depends entirely on who you are and what you need the money to do:
The highest-rate schemes here (SCSS, SSY, KVP) all come with real access restrictions — SCSS is restricted to those 60+, SSY is locked to a 21-year horizon tied to a specific child, and KVP has a strict 30-month lock-in. The lowest-rate option, the plain Post Office Savings Account at 4%, is also the only one with genuinely instant, unrestricted access. There’s no scheme here that gives you both the highest rate and full flexibility — every choice is a real trade-off between return and access.
Several of these post office rates — especially SCSS and SSY at 8.2% — now meaningfully beat what most banks offer on comparable products, a gap that’s widened as banks have cut rates faster than the government has adjusted small savings schemes. See our bank FD rates guide to compare directly against your bank’s current offers before deciding where to park a large sum.
What are the current post office interest rates?
For October-December 2026: Savings Account 4%, Time Deposits 6.9-7.5% depending on tenure, RD 6.7%, POMIS 7.4%, SCSS 8.2%, PPF 7.1%, NSC 7.7%, KVP 7.5% (doubles in 115 months), and SSY 8.2%.
Which post office scheme has the highest interest rate?
SCSS and SSY are tied at the top, both at 8.2% — but SCSS is restricted to those 60+, and SSY only applies to a girl child under 10.
Why have post office rates stayed the same for so long?
The government reviews rates quarterly but has kept them frozen for 10 consecutive quarters since January 2024, even as bank rates have moved — a gap significant enough that it’s drawing RBI’s attention.
When will the next rate change be announced?
The government reviews these rates every quarter. The next announcement, for January-March 2027, would typically come in the last week of December 2026.
Sources: Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Office Memorandum dated 30 September 2026. Rates confirmed for the October-December 2026 quarter (Q3, FY 2026-27).
