A chronology of changes in the U.S. prime rate going back to 1972. The dates reflect when the prime rate change took effect. For example, the increases announced Tuesday, May 15th, 2001, will take effect on Wednesday, May 17.
2000
9.50 percent May 17
9 percent March 22
8.75 percent Feb. 3
1999
8.50 percent Nov. 16
8.25 percent Aug. 24
8 percent June 30
1998
7.75 percent Nov. 18
8.00 percent Oct. 16
8.25 percent Sept. 30
1997
8.50 percent March 26
1996
8.25 percent Feb. 1
1995
8.50 percent Dec. 20
8.75 percent July 7
9 percent Feb. 1
1994
8.50 percent Nov. 15
7.75 percent Aug. 16
7.25 percent May 17
6.75 percent April 18
6.25 percent March 23
1993
5.5 percent Oct. 18 (Morgan Guaranty first, nobody else significant followed. Morgan pushed it back up to 6 percent on March 17, 1994)
1992
6 percent July 2
6.25 percent April 20 (Chemical Banking Corp. only, rescinded June 5)
1991
6.5 percent Dec. 20
7.5 percent Nov. 6
8 percent Sept. 13
8.5 percent May 1
9 percent Feb. 1
9.5 percent Jan. 2
1990
10 percent Jan. 8
1989
10.5 percent July 10 and July 31
11 percent June 5
11.5 percent Feb. 24
11 percent Feb. 10
1988
10.5 percent Nov. 28
10.0 percent Aug. 11
9.5 percent July 14
9 percent May 11
8.5 percent Feb. 2
1987
8.75 percent Nov. 5
9.0 percent Oct. 22
9.25 percent Oct. 7
8.75 percent Sept. 4
8.25 percent May 15
8.0 percent May 1
7.75 percent March 31
1986
7.5 percent Aug. 26
8.0 percent July 11
8.5 percent April 21
9.0 percent March 7
1985
9.5 percent June 18
10.0 percent May 20
10.5 percent Jan. 15
1984
10.75 percent Dec. 20
11.25 percent Nov. 28
11.75 percent Nov. 8
12.0 percent Oct. 26
12.25 percent Oct. 16
12.75 percent Sept. 27
13.0 percent June 25
12.5 percent May 8
12.0 percent April 6
11.5 percent March 19
1983
11.0 percent Aug. 8
10.5 percent Feb. 28
11.0 percent Jan. 11
1982
11.5 percent Nov. 22
12.0 percent Oct. 13
13.0 percent Oct. 7
13.5 percent Aug. 20
14.0 percent Aug. 18
14.5 percent Aug. 16
15.0 percent Aug. 2
15.5 percent July 29
16.0 percent July 20
16.5 percent Feb. 23
17.0 percent Feb. 17
16.5 percent Feb. 2
1981
15.75 percent Dec 1
16.0 percent Nov. 24
16.5 percent Nov. 16
17.0 percent Nov. 9
17.5 percent Nov. 2
18.0 percent Oct. 13
19.0 percent Oct. 5
19.5 percent Sept. 22
20.0 percent Sept. 15
20.5 percent July 8
20.0 percent June 2
20.5 percent May 22
20.0 percent May 19
19.5 percent May 11
19.0 percent May 4
18.0 percent April 29
17.5 percent April 21
17.0 percent March 25
17.5 percent March 17
18.0 percent March 10
18.5 percent Feb. 24
19.0 percent Feb. 23
19.5 percent Feb. 3
20.0 percent Jan. 9
1980
21.5 percent Dec. 19
21.0 percent Dec. 16
20.0 percent Dec. 10
19.0 percent Dec. 5
18.5 percent Dec. 2
17.75 percent Nov. 26
17.0 percent Nov. 21
16.25 percent Nov. 17
15.5 percent Nov. 6
14.5 percent Oct. 29
14.0 percent Oct. 17
13.5 percent Oct. 1
13.0 percent Sept. 26
12.5 percent Sept. 19
12.25 percent Sept. 12
12.0 percent Sept. 5
11.0 percent July 24
11.5 percent July 7
12.0 percent June 20
12.5 percent June 13 13.0 percent June 6
14.0 percent May 30
14.5 percent May 27
16.5 percent May 16
17.5 percent May 7
18.5 percent May 2
19.5 percent April 18
20.0 percent April 3
19.5 percent April 1
19.0 percent March 19
18.5 percent March 14
17.75 percent March 7
17.25 percent March 4
16.75 percent Feb. 29
16.5 percent Feb. 26
15.75 percent Feb. 19
1979
15.25 percent Dec. 7
15.5 percent Nov. 30
15.75 percent Nov. 16
15.5 percent Nov. 9
15.25 percent Nov. 1
15.0 percent Oct. 23
14.5 percent Oct. 9
13.5 percent Sept. 28
13.25 percent Sept. 21
13.0 percent Sept. 14
12.75 percent Sept. 7
12.25 percent Aug. 28
12.0 percent Aug. 16
11.75 percent July 27
11.5 percent June 19
1978
11.75 percent Dec. 26
11.5 percent Nov. 24
11.0 percent Nov. 17
10.75 percent Nov. 6
10.5 percent Nov. 1
10.25 percent Oct. 27
10.0 percent Oct. 13
9.75 percent Sept. 28
9.5 percent Sept. 15
9.25 percent Aug. 31
9.0 percent June 30
8.75 percent June 16
8.5 percent May 26
8.25 percent May 5
8.0 percent Jan. 10
1977
7.75 percent Oct. 24
7.5 percent Oct. 7
7.25 percent Sept. 16
7.0 percent Aug. 22
6.75 percent May 31
6.5 percent May 13
1976
6.25 percent Dec. 13
6.5 percent Nov. 1
6.75 percent Oct. 4
7.0 percent Aug. 2
7.25 percent June 7
7.0 percent June 1
6.75 percent Jan. 21
7 percent Jan. 12
1975
7.25 percent Dec. 2
7.5 percent Nov. 5
7.25 percent Oct. 27
8 percent Sept. 15
7.75 percent Aug. 12
7.5 percent July 28
7.25 percent July 18
7 percent June 9
7.25 percent May 20
7.5 percent March 24
7.75 percent March 18
8 percent March 10
8.25 percent March 5
8.5 percent Feb. 24
8.25 percent Feb. 18
9 percent Feb. 10
9.25 percent Feb. 3
9.5 percent Jan 28
9.25 percent Jan. 20
10 percent Jan. 15
10.25 percent Jan. 9
1974
10.5 percent Nov. 25
10.75 percent Nov. 14
11 percent Nov. 4
11.25 percent Oct. 28
11.5 percent Oct. 21
11.75 percent Oct. 7
12 percent July 5
11.75 percent June 26
11.5 percent May 17
11.25 percent May 10
11 percent May 6
10.75 percent May 2
10.5 percent April 25
10.25 percent April 19
10 percent April 11
9.75 percent April 5
9.5 percent April 3
9.25 percent March 29
9 percent March 22
8.75 percent Feb. 25
9 percent Feb. 19
9.25 percent Feb. 11
9.5 percent Jan. 29
1973
9.75 percent Oct. 24
10 percent Sept. 18
9.75 percent Aug. 28
9.5 percent Aug. 22
9.25 percent Aug. 13
9 percent Aug. 6
8.75 percent July 30
8.5 percent July 18
8.25 percent July 9
8 percent July 3
7.75 percent June 25
7.5 percent June 8
7.25 percent May 25
7 percent May 7
6.75 percent April 18
6.5 percent March 26
6.25 percent Feb. 27
1972
6 percent Dec. 27
5.75 percent Oct. 4
5.25 percent June 26
5.5 percent April 29
5 percent April 5
4.75 percent Jan. 31
5 percent Jan. 24
