Treasury Bill Rates Over Time
Treasury bills are short-term U.S. government securities that mature in one year or less. This chart compares common bill maturities such as 4-week, 8-week, 13-week, 17-week, 26-week, and 52-week bills.
Treasury rate history
Historical Treasury Rates: Bill, Note, and Bond Yield Charts
View historical Treasury rates across bills, notes, and bonds. Use the charts below to compare short-term T-Bill rates with intermediate and long-term Treasury yields, including common maturities such as 4-week, 13-week, 2-year, 10-year, 20-year, and 30-year Treasuries.
This page helps you see how Treasury rates have changed over time, how short-term and long-term yields compare, and whether the Treasury yield curve has been upward sloping, flat, or inverted. These charts show yield and rate trends, not total returns.
What this page shows
- Historical Treasury bill rates
- Historical Treasury note yields
- Historical Treasury bond yields
- Short-term vs long-term yield trends
- Yield curve changes across maturities
What are historical Treasury rates?
Historical Treasury rates show how yields on U.S. government securities have changed over time. These rates can include short-term Treasury bill rates, intermediate-term Treasury note yields, and long-term Treasury bond yields.
Investors often review Treasury rate history to understand interest rate trends, compare different maturities, evaluate cash alternatives, and study changes in the Treasury yield curve.
Select a time range
Choose how much historical Treasury rate data to show on the charts.
Treasury Note Yields Over Time
Treasury notes are intermediate-term securities, commonly issued with maturities such as 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, 7 years, and 10 years. The 10-year Treasury yield is one of the most widely watched benchmark rates.
Treasury Bond Yields Over Time
Treasury bonds are longer-term securities. This chart is useful for comparing long-term rate trends, especially 20-year and 30-year Treasury yields.
Historical Treasury rates by security type
Treasury bills, notes, and bonds represent different maturity ranges. Comparing them can help you understand whether short-term rates are moving differently from longer-term yields.
| Security type | Typical maturity | What the rate can show |
|---|---|---|
| Treasury bills | 1 year or less | Short-term interest rate trends and cash-equivalent yields |
| Treasury notes | 2 to 10 years | Intermediate-rate expectations and benchmark yields such as the 10-year Treasury |
| Treasury bonds | 20 to 30 years | Long-term interest rate expectations and inflation-sensitive yield trends |
How to use historical Treasury rates
- Compare short-term T-Bill rates with longer-term Treasury yields.
- Look for periods when short-term yields were higher than long-term yields.
- Review whether Treasury rates have been rising, falling, or staying flat.
- Use rate history before comparing Treasuries with savings accounts, CDs, or money market funds.
- Check whether today’s rates are high or low compared with recent Treasury rate history.
How to read these historical Treasury charts
Treasury rates tend to move differently depending on maturity. Short-term Treasury bill rates often respond quickly to Federal Reserve policy expectations, while longer-term Treasury note and bond yields may reflect inflation expectations, economic growth expectations, and investor demand for long-term government debt.
When short-term yields are higher than long-term yields, the yield curve may be inverted. When long-term yields are higher than short-term yields, the yield curve is more normally upward sloping.
Treasury bills
Short-term securities with maturities of one year or less. They are usually sold at a discount and mature at face value.
Treasury notes
Intermediate-term securities that usually pay interest every six months and mature between 2 and 10 years.
Treasury bonds
Long-term securities that usually pay interest every six months and mature over a longer time horizon, such as 20 or 30 years.
About the historical Treasury rate data
The charts on this page use Treasury rate data to show how yields have changed over time. Treasury bill rates generally reflect short-term Treasury conditions, while notes and bonds help show intermediate and long-term Treasury yield trends.
Historical Treasury rates are useful for education and comparison, but they should not be confused with total investment return. A total-return calculation would also need to account for purchase price, coupon payments, reinvestment, holding period, and sale price.
Historical Treasury rates FAQ
What are historical Treasury rates?
Historical Treasury rates show how yields on U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds have changed over time.
Are Treasury rates the same as Treasury returns?
No. Treasury rates show yield levels, while total return depends on purchase price, interest payments, reinvestment, holding period, and market price changes.
Why compare bills, notes, and bonds?
Comparing bills, notes, and bonds helps show the shape of the Treasury yield curve and how short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term rates are moving.
What does it mean when short-term Treasury rates are higher than long-term rates?
When short-term Treasury rates are higher than long-term Treasury yields, the yield curve may be inverted. Investors often watch this because it can signal changing expectations for growth, inflation, or Federal Reserve policy.
Can I compare current Treasury rates with historical rates?
Yes. Start with the historical charts on this page, then visit the current Treasury rates page to compare today’s available yields with recent Treasury rate history.