Eurozone Lending Rises Less than Expected

Bank lending to Eurozone households rose 3% year-on-year to €7.22 trillion in June 2026, the same as in the previous month and below market forecasts of 3.1%. Business lending stood at 4.0% in June, unchanged from May. Overall private sector credit, including households and non-financial corporations, rose 3.9%.

Bank lending to Eurozone households rose 3.1% year-on-year to €7.21 trillion in May 2026, up from 3.0% in April and exceeding market forecasts of 2.9%. Household credit demand grew at its fastest pace since February 2023, ahead of the European Central Bank’s first rate hike in three years, scheduled for June. Business lending increased 4.0% in May, the strongest growth in three years. Overall private sector credit, including households and non-financial corporations, expanded to 3.9%, the highest since March 2023, from 3.5% the previous month.

Bank lending to households in the Eurozone rose 3% year-on-year to €7.194 trillion in April 2026, as expected. Lending to businesses increased to 3.4% in April from 3.2%. Combined, overall credit growth to the private sector, covering both households and non-financial corporations, stood at 3.5% in April, unchanged from the previous month.