Demand for credit card/consumer loans remains positive and growing at 1.8% YoY, decelerating vs a month ago
In parallel, demand for mortgages remains positive and growing at 1.4% YoY, decelerating vs a month ago
Focusing on mortgages, lending standards are easy, and easier vs previous quarter
Growth in mortgages has been negative and tight lending standards will make it easy to get new loans going forward, supporting economic growth and thus company earnings in the medium term
IntroLending standards are the criteria and practices banks use to evaluate and approve loan applications, determining whether to grant credit and under what terms. They are often influenced by economic conditions, tightening during recessions and loosening during economic booms.
These standards - monitored by the ECB as part of their overall supervision on banking activity - can be used to assess both the borrower's capacity to repay and the potential risks associated with the loan.
Consumer loansWe track demand for credit card and consumer loans without their lending standards, just to purely observe how consumers feel. Higher demand for credit card/consumer loans will stimulate consumption, growth and the economy on one side, but will also highlight a consumer without enough savings to self-finance their purchases. Lower demand will likely indicate slower consumption, but also a better financial position for households.
Mortgages (and chart guide)In the chart above, we also track demand for mortgages with their lending standards. Positive demand for mortgages, associated with easier lending standards, can indicate more home purchases with a subsequent acceleration in future economic growth. Viceversa, negative mortgage demand and tighter mortgage lending standards may anticipate a slow-down in home buying, and subsequently economic growth.
Lending to EU corporates
Lending to EU corporates
measuring business lending standard
how easy is to get a corporate loan in the EU?
Latest available data: 01-2026
Corporate lending
Demand for business loans remains positive
It is growing at 4.3% YoY and decelerating vs a month ago
In parallel, lending standards are fair, and tighter vs previous quarter
Growth in business lending has been positive so far, and easier lending standards will continue to streamline the extension of new loans going forward, supporting economic growth and thus company earnings in the medium term
IntroLending standards are the criteria and practices banks use to evaluate and approve loan applications, determining whether to grant credit and under what terms. They are often influenced by economic conditions, tightening during recessions and loosening during economic booms.
These standards - monitored by the ECB as part of their overall supervision on banking activity - can be used to assess both the borrower's capacity to repay and the potential risks associated with the loan.
Chart guideIn this chart we monitor the latest data available on corporate demand for bank loans (blue area) and we cross it with the current lending standards in EU (yellow line).
Positive demand growth associated with easier lending standards can suggest an acceleration in future economic growth, as companies will likely use the newly lent money for productive investments to grow their sales further. Viceversa, negative loan demand and tighter lending standards may anticipate a slow-down in economic growth.