MACAO, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The cost of funding for the banking sector in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) dropped in the first quarter of 2025, according to data released on Friday by the Monetary Authority of Macao.

By the end of March, the composite interest rate for pataca (MOP) fell by 10 basis points to 1.74 percent compared to the end of 2024, said the authority. The rate for the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) also declined, dropping 24 basis points to 3.09 percent.

According to the authority, Macao's composite interest rates are the weighted average interest rates of all interest-bearing liabilities and non-interest-bearing demand deposits on local banks' books. Enditem