In August 2026, household loans in Bulgaria increased by 20.8% year on year to EUR 32.637 billion, while adjusted household loans in the euro area rose by 3.1%, according to data published by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) and the European Central Bank (ECB) on Friday.
The pace of growth in lending to Bulgarian households remained unchanged from July 2026. Housing loans reached EUR 19.328 billion in August, up 25.2% year on year, with the growth rate slowing slightly from 25.7% in the previous month.
Consumer loans amounted to EUR 12.286 billion in the reporting month, accelerating their annual growth rate to 15.9% from 15.4% in July 2026. Loans to employers and self-employed people, however, fell by 8.1% to EUR 255.7 million.
Lending to non-financial corporations in Bulgaria also accelerated. Funds extended to businesses reached EUR 29.256 billion in August 2026, an increase of 13.7% compared with August 2025. The annual increase in July was 13%.
Total loans to the non-government sector (households and businesses, according to the BNB’s classification) increased by 16.7% to EUR 66.994 billion, after rising by 16.5% in the previous month.
Deposits of the non-government sector in Bulgaria reached EUR 87.696 billion in August 2026, up 15.4% year on year. Household savings and deposits of non-profit institutions serving households increased by 17.2% to EUR 57.191 billion, although their growth slowed from 17.8% in July.
Deposits of non-financial corporations increased by 12.7% to EUR 28.347 billion annually, accelerating from a growth rate of 10.8% in July.
In the euro area, annual growth in adjusted household loans remained unchanged at 3.1% in August 2026 compared with July 2026. Housing lending in August also increased by 3.1% year on year, while the growth rate of consumer loans slowed to 5% from 5.1% in July.
August 2026 adjusted loans to non-financial corporations (the real economy) in the euro area increased by 4.2% year on year, following a 4.4% increase in the previous month. Lending to the private sector (according to the ECB’s classification) accelerated overall to 4.3% from 4.1% in July.
The August data cover the period before the ECB raised its three key interest rates by 25 basis points each on September 10. The deposit facility rate, which sets the direction of monetary policy, reached 2.5%.
August Household Loans Increase by 20.8% Y/Y in Bulgaria, 3.1% in Euro Area THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-25 12:27:00
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