Bank loans in Romania keep shrinking in real terms

26 August 2026 The stock of bank loans in Romania rose by 7.8% y/y to RON 472.4 billion (EUR 90.0 billion) at the end of July, rising more slowly than the double-digit consumer price inflation but also compared to the nominal advance of the GDP (+8.8% y/y, latest data available as of March 2026), according to data published by the National Bank of Romania. The financial intermediation thus decreased slightly from an already modest 24.6% of GDP in July 2025 to 24.4% one year later. The forex-denominated corporate loans were the sole segment that boasted robust growth: 20.5% y/y to RON 142.5 billion. Only a small part of this was due to the 3.3% y/y appreciation of the euro against the national currency. Overall, the stock of forex-denominated loans in Romania rose by 16.6% y/y to RON 156.6