Post Office Quarterly Interest Rates 2026: Live Table
Every three months, a single government notification decides what millions of Indian savers earn on their money. The Ministry of Finance reviews and resets the interest rates on Post Office small savings schemes each quarter, and the figures it announces apply to fresh deposits across the country.
For the April-June 2026 quarter, the headline is continuity: rates have been left unchanged for the eighth consecutive quarter, holding the top rate at 8.2%. But the quarterly system means today's rates are not guaranteed to last, which is why a live, dated table matters more than a static one.
This page sets out every Post Office interest rate for the current quarter, explains how the revision process works, how the rates are taxed, and tracks the history that led to the present freeze.
Post Office interest rates for April-June 2026: the live table
For the quarter running 1 April to 30 June 2026, Post Office small savings rates range from 4.0% on the savings account to 8.2% on SCSS and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. The table below lists every scheme's current rate, compounding frequency and tenure.
| Scheme | Rate (Q1 FY27) | Compounding | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Office Savings Account | 4.0% | Annual | Open-ended |
| 1-Year Time Deposit | 6.9% | Quarterly | 1 year |
| 2-Year Time Deposit | 7.0% | Quarterly | 2 years |
| 3-Year Time Deposit | 7.1% | Quarterly | 3 years |
| 5-Year Time Deposit | 7.5% | Quarterly | 5 years |
| 5-Year Recurring Deposit (RD) | 6.7% | Quarterly | 5 years |
| Monthly Income Scheme (MIS) | 7.4% | Monthly payout | 5 years |
| National Savings Certificate (NSC) | 7.7% | Annual | 5 years |
| Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) | 7.5% | Annual | 115 months |
| Public Provident Fund (PPF) | 7.1% | Annual | 15 years |
| Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) | 8.2% | Quarterly payout | 5 years |
| Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) | 8.2% | Annual | 21 years |
"Interest rates of various Small Savings Schemes for the first quarter of FY 2026-27 starting from 1st April, 2026 and ending on 30th June, 2026 shall remain unchanged from those notified for the fourth quarter of FY 2025-26." (Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs notification, 31 March 2026.)
What "small savings schemes" covers
The term small savings schemes covers the government-run savings products distributed mainly through the Post Office, spanning deposits, certificates and the social-security schemes. They fall into three broad groups: savings deposits such as the savings account, RD and Time Deposits; savings certificates such as NSC and KVP; and the targeted schemes PPF, SCSS and Sukanya Samriddhi.
All are backed by the Government of India and have their rates set centrally each quarter, which is what lets a single table cover them. Knowing that these are one family, governed by one rate notification, makes the quarterly review easier to follow.
How the quarterly revision works
Post Office small savings rates are reset four times a year, before the start of each quarter. The Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance issues a notification, typically in the last week of the preceding month, fixing the rates for April-June, July-September, October-December and January-March.
The rates are benchmarked to the yields on government securities of comparable maturity, following the formula recommended by the Shyamala Gopinath Committee in 2011. Each scheme's rate is meant to sit a fixed spread above the average G-Sec yield of the previous three months, though the government retains discretion and has often held rates steady for policy reasons.
Why the rate at deposit matters
For fixed-tenure schemes such as NSC, KVP, SCSS, MIS and Time Deposits, the rate applicable on the date of deposit is locked in for the entire term. A saver opening a five-year NSC this quarter keeps 7.7% for all five years, regardless of later revisions.
PPF and Sukanya Samriddhi work differently: their rates are floating, so the balance earns whatever rate is notified each quarter over the long life of the account. This distinction is central to timing a deposit.
The rate-setting formula in detail
The framework adopted in 2011 ties each scheme's rate to the average yield of government securities of similar maturity over the preceding three months, plus a fixed spread. The spread is larger for the social-security schemes - SCSS, SSY and PPF - which is why they sit above the plain deposit rates.
In practice, the government does not always pass through the full formula result, often holding rates steady to protect savers or for fiscal reasons, as it has for eight quarters. So the formula sets the benchmark, while the final figure reflects a policy judgement on top of it.
Compounding frequency and effective yield
The headline rate is an annual figure, but how often it compounds changes the actual return. The Time Deposits and RD compound quarterly, so their effective yield is a little above the stated rate, while PPF, NSC, KVP and SSY compound annually, and the savings account pays simple annual interest on the balance.
SCSS and MIS pay out their interest rather than compounding it - quarterly for SCSS and monthly for MIS - which suits an income need but means no compounding within the scheme. Reading the compounding column alongside the rate gives a truer picture of what each scheme returns.
The eight-quarter freeze in context
The April-June 2026 rates mark the eighth consecutive quarter without a change, one of the longest stable stretches in recent memory. Rates were last revised upward through 2023, after which the government has held them flat across the whole of FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26.
This pause has kept several schemes well above comparable bank deposit rates. SCSS and SSY at 8.2% sit materially higher than most large banks' fixed-deposit offerings in 2026, sustaining the Post Office's appeal to conservative savers.
| Scheme | Rate now (Q1 FY27) | Direction over past 8 quarters |
|---|---|---|
| SCSS | 8.2% | Unchanged |
| Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana | 8.2% | Unchanged |
| NSC | 7.7% | Unchanged |
| PPF | 7.1% | Unchanged since 2020 |
| RD | 6.7% | Unchanged |
Notably, the PPF rate has held at 7.1% since the April-June 2020 quarter - more than five years without a change, the longest freeze of any scheme on the list.
Tax on the interest by scheme
The rate is only part of the after-tax return, since the schemes are taxed differently. PPF and Sukanya Samriddhi are EEE, so their interest is entirely tax-free; the savings account interest enjoys the 80TTA or 80TTB deduction; and NSC, KVP, the Time Deposits, RD, MIS and SCSS pay interest that is taxable as income.
So a headline 8.2% on SSY, being tax-free, is worth more after tax than a taxable 8.2% on SCSS for a saver in a high bracket. Weighing the rate against the tax treatment is what reveals the true return of each scheme.
How Post Office rates compare with banks in 2026
The Post Office's guaranteed rates remain competitive with, and often ahead of, bank deposits for matching tenures in 2026. A 5-year Post Office Time Deposit at 7.5% and SCSS at 8.2% both tend to beat the equivalent fixed deposits from large public-sector banks.
Beyond rate, the Post Office carries a full sovereign guarantee on the entire deposit, against the ₹5 lakh deposit-insurance cap that applies to bank accounts. For risk-averse savers, that combination of higher rate and stronger guarantee is the core of the Post Office's enduring draw.
What could move rates in the next revision
The direction of the next revision depends mainly on government-bond yields and inflation, since the formula tracks G-Sec yields. If yields and inflation soften, the benchmark would point toward lower small-savings rates, while firm yields would support holding them steady.
The policy interest-rate cycle set by the central bank feeds into bond yields, so the broader rate environment is the backdrop to each notification. After two years of stability, a downward move would not be a surprise if yields have eased, which is why the timing of a fixed-tenure deposit matters now.
How to use the rate table when investing
The table is most useful read alongside the saver's own horizon and tax position. A saver wanting to lock a high rate for the long term looks at SCSS or the 5-year Time Deposit; one wanting tax-free growth at PPF or SSY; and one wanting income at MIS or SCSS.
Because fixed-tenure rates lock at deposit, the table also signals when to act: if rates look likely to fall, opening a fixed-tenure scheme this quarter secures the current rate for the full term. The full scheme details are compared in IndiaPost's guide to Post Office savings schemes.
Locking in a rate this quarter
For a saver who believes rates may soften, the practical move is to open a fixed-tenure scheme - NSC, KVP, a Time Deposit, SCSS or MIS - while the current rate still applies, since that rate then holds for the whole term. A floating scheme such as PPF or SSY, by contrast, will simply track whatever future quarters bring.
This timing decision is the main reason a live, dated rate table is worth more than a static one. Knowing both the current figure and the next revision date lets a saver choose when, as well as where, to place their money.
The longer rate history
Stepping back, Post Office rates moved up steadily through 2022 and 2023 as government-bond yields rose, lifting SCSS and the Time Deposits to their current levels. Since then the cycle has plateaued, with the rates held flat across two financial years even as the formula has at times pointed lower.
This pattern - rising, then a long plateau - is typical of how the government smooths small-savings rates to protect savers from the full swing of bond markets. The current freeze sits at the high end of that recent cycle, which is part of what makes locking in attractive.
Schemes that pay out versus accumulate
A useful way to read the table is by whether a scheme pays interest out or lets it accumulate. MIS pays monthly and SCSS quarterly, suiting savers who need income, while NSC, KVP, PPF, SSY and the Time Deposits accumulate the interest to maturity, suiting those building a corpus.
The RD sits in between, accumulating monthly instalments with interest to a five-year maturity. Matching the payout style to whether the saver needs income now or growth later is as important as the headline rate.
Where the official rates are published
The authoritative source for each quarter's rates is the Ministry of Finance notification, mirrored on the India Post and National Savings Institute websites. Because unofficial pages can lag a revision, checking the official notification before opening an account is the way to be sure of the live rate that will apply to a deposit.
Methodology
All rates on this page are the official figures notified by the Ministry of Finance for the first quarter of FY 2026-27 (1 April to 30 June 2026), cross-checked against India Post and National Savings Institute documentation and independent trackers including ClearTax and ReLakhs. The rate-setting formula reference is the Shyamala Gopinath Committee framework adopted in 2011. Because rates are revised quarterly, this table will be updated on each new notification; savers should confirm the live rate before opening an account.
Key takeaways
- April-June 2026 Post Office rates are unchanged for the eighth straight quarter, ranging 4.0% to 8.2%.
- SCSS and Sukanya Samriddhi top the table at 8.2%; PPF is 7.1%, NSC 7.7%, KVP 7.5%, MIS 7.4%, RD 6.7%.
- Rates are reset every quarter by the Ministry of Finance, benchmarked to government-security yields.
- Fixed-tenure schemes lock the rate at deposit; PPF and SSY float with each quarterly notification.
- PPF and SSY interest is tax-free; NSC, KVP, TD, RD, MIS and SCSS interest is taxable.
- The PPF rate has held at 7.1% since the April-June 2020 quarter, the longest freeze on the list.
- Post Office rates remain competitive with banks and carry a full sovereign guarantee on the deposit.
Looking ahead
The notification to watch is the July-September 2026 revision, due in late June 2026, which is the first realistic window for a change after two years of stable rates. If softening inflation and lower government-bond yields finally pull rates down, savers locking into fixed-tenure schemes this quarter will have secured the current rates for their full term - making the timing of a deposit a decision worth weighing before the next notification lands.