The stock of bank loans in Romania rose by 13.4% YoY at the end of September, to RON 314.6 bln (EUR 63.6 bln, 28% of GDP), with the local currency loans rising faster - by 18.4% YoY to RON 225.3 bln (EUR 45.5 bln), according to data from the National Bank of Romania (BNR).

For comparison, the 12-month rolling GDP increased (nominal terms) by 5% as of June 2021 (latest available data), while the headline inflation rate accelerated to 6.3% YoY as of September.

The dynamics of the local currency lending (+18.4% YoY as of September) is more intense in the corporate segment (+23.7% YoY) compared to the retail segment (+15.0% YoY).

The growth rate in the corporate segment tripled from 7.5% YoY as of December, and it did not even double from 9.1% YoY at the end of last year. Compared to August, the growth rates have increased in both segments.

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iulian@romania-insider.com