Consumer Credit

The biggest story in consumer lending in 2023 is the issuing of the new Circular by the State Bank of Vietnam, to promote consumer lending for daily needs. To encourage banks to increase their lending activities, including consumer lending, the State…

The year 2023 witnessed a decline in the number of consumers obtaining personal consumer credit. As Inflation and the cost of living remained high, consumers relied on cash withdrawals from credit cards when they needed small sums of money. This…

2022 and 2023 saw some of the most rapid increases in lending interest rates in US history. During the pandemic, many interest rates approached record lows, leading consumers to refinance debt, and leading to a generally free lending environment. In…

Numerous consumers have increased their reliance on credit to enable them to afford higher retail prices in 2023, as the UK economy has continued to be impacted by high inflation and the rising cost of living. As a result, card lending is set to…

Banks in the United Arab Emirates continue to offer attractive card lending offers in 2023. With many credit cards now having appealing credit limits depending on the salary range and credit score of consumers, many banks are offering to convert…

Towards the end of the review period consumer loans has shown continuous current value growth. In 2023, current value growth is being driven by credit cards and various personal lending options, particularly salary-based general purpose loans.…

Lending institutions in the Netherlands are adapting their lending norms to accommodate inflation and the increasing cost of living. These updated lending norms predominantly affect consumer credit. By incorporating rising prices into their…

The cost of living crisis remains a pressing issue for Czech consumers in 2023, with higher energy and grocery bills squeezing disposable incomes. People are still struggling to pay their bills and are therefore taking out loans or buying on credit…

Thailand’s economic performance in 2023 is improving as the pandemic effects subside and private consumption rebounds. Other positive factors include the surge in Thai and foreign travellers, as well as improvements in the service sector, which is…

The government's relaxation of control measures on digital banks has paved the way for a broadened range of financial services offered by pure digital banks. Although the impact on traditional banks and digital wallet operators remains relatively…

Consumer credit suffered during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when economic uncertainty saw the postponement of larger purchases. While gross lending surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022, consumers remained cautious, amid much uncertainty…

Buy now pay later (BNPL) continues to grow in popularity, particularly among young adults, and there is a notable shift to BNPL loans. A significant number of financial services providers have launched their own BNPL programmes, including Banco…

One of the most significant global issues concerning consumer credit is BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) services, which enable consumers without sufficient funds to make an immediate purchase, locally known as “thin filers”, to obtain goods and pay at a…

Demand for consumer credit gross lending is set to continue to increase in 2023, despite the South African Reserve Bank’s consecutive rises in interest rates to stabilise inflationary pressures. This trend has been driven mainly by declining…

Following the pandemic, card lending, contributing to over 60% of consumer credit gross lending in Singapore, has witnessed significant growth, largely propelled by the enduring trend of revenge travel. The resumption of travel and tourism activities…

Other personal lending continues to be an area of interest in Saudi Arabia, as this category primarily constitutes personal loans taken for medical purposes and travelling. This has been particularly prominent since the end of pandemic restrictions…

Consumer lending in 2023 is experiencing a slowdown due to the rapid rise in interest rates and the prevailing economic uncertainty. There is a notable increase in interest in quick loans from non-banking institutions and card lending. The surge in…

Consumer lending in Portugal maintains its positive growth trend in 2023. Demand for loans both for last-minute expenses and for current expenses is rising as consumers lose purchasing power and as savings stashed during the pandemic diminish. In…

In the face of economic slowdown, there has been a clear decline in private consumption in Poland. Banks have tightened lending criteria for all types of loans to protect their business revenues. At the start of 2023, the criteria for granting…

Consumer credit has continued to witness robust growth in 2023, albeit at a moderated pace compared to the preceding two years. This growth encompasses both outstanding balances and gross lending, having already rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in…

Consumer credit is enjoying a more prosperous year in 2023 than was expected, as the Norwegian economy remains resilient in the face of high inflation. The rate of inflation has reduced slightly in 2023, but it is still much higher than the 2%…

A new government inherited a sluggish economy, record debt and shrinking oil output, due to creaking infrastructure. On foot of this, the government has implemented some difficult decisions in order to stabilise the economy, including ending a…

Morocco’s latest unemployment data exhibits a rise to almost 13% in the first three months of 2023, from just over 12% over the same period last year, as the farming sector shrunk due to the worst drought in decades, directly affecting the sector’s…

Consumer credit is set to show continued consistent robust growth in gross lending in 2023, driven by improving employment and business performance, and wages that continue to recover in the wake of the pandemic. However, growth will encounter…

In 2021 and 2022, many local consumers used personal loans when faced with unplanned expenses or a personal financial emergency. Malaysian banks were very active in offering personal loans to individuals, providing flexible repayments and offering…

Japan currently does not have any law restrictions surrounding Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and thus the benefits, such as convenience, flexibility, and especially no credit checks, are gradually being understood by a wider consumer base. These benefits…

Consumer credit registered positive, albeit modest growth in terms of gross lending and outstanding balance values in Italy in 2023, as ongoing economic uncertainty led many consumers to retain a conservative approach towards borrowing. While the…

In 2023, the growth of consumer lending in Israel experienced a notable slowdown, continuing a trend observed over recent years. The outstanding balance in card lending saw a decline, significantly influenced by rising inflation and the increasing…

Consumer credit gross lending has experienced further strong growth in 2023, along similar lines to the previous year. The main factor behind this growth has been the improvement in economic conditions as a result of increased community mobility…

In 2023, card lending - driven by increasing credit card adoption in India - remained the dominant category within consumer credit in gross lending terms. The adoption of credit cards further increased during the year, primarily as consumers’…

As inflation continues to rise, an increasing number of households find themselves in a financially precarious situation at the end of the month or salary payment periods. The impact of inflation bites into monthly budgets, leading to higher expenses…

Since the reopening of borders in the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been a significant increase in the desire of Hong Kong residents to travel abroad, following three years of pandemic-induced restrictions. Throughout 2023, there has been a…

In 2023, gross lending in the primary category of other personal lending is experiencing a slowdown in growth due to inflation and reduced disposable incomes. Rising prices, coupled with stagnant salaries, have instilled a sense of insecurity in…

In 2023, Germany’s consumer credit market showed signs of cautious optimism. Despite the lingering effects of the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, such as the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, there was a modest rise in consumer lending. However, German…

Consumer credit is facing challenges in 2023, due to the uncertainty of the overall economic context. Negative influencing factors include high inflation, geopolitical unrest concerning the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and, in light of this situation,…

Forbes Middle East's recent list of the top 30 fintech companies for 2023 highlighted a strong presence from Egypt. Fawry secured the top spot, boasting an extensive network of 36 member banks, over 280,000 agents, and a user base exceeding 49…

Increasing interest rates are having an impact on consumer lending in 2023, with growth lower than the previous year. That being said, growth is still positive as the economy fares fairly well, in spite of inflation continuing to rise, though at a…

In the early months of 2023, a challenging macroeconomic climate, coupled with low consumer confidence, high interest rates to curb demand and soaring inflation, as well as political uncertainty, resulted in a marked deceleration in the issuance of…

Consumer credit is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, following subdued demand in 2022, affected by the pandemic. The pick-up in consumer credit growth has largely been due to rises in home and card lending, reflecting some improvement in…

Historically, when a consumer applied for a bank loan, the commitment was typically honoured until the debt was fully repaid because the process of making a change was costly and time-consuming. In 2020, Chile introduced the Financial Portability Law…

In 2023 the Bank of Canada has tweaked its prime interest rate several times. The impact on the housing market has been a rise in household mortgage debt. Consumers with variable rate mortgages or on the cusp of renewals have been struck especially…

In June 2023, the percentage of households carrying outstanding debts in Brazil rose by a 0.2 percentage point, reaching a total of 78.5%, the highest level since November 2022. Among these households, 18.5% considered themselves heavily burdened…

Consumer credit has experienced a significant drop in all areas of gross lending in 2023. In light of the sharp increases in the cost of living since 2022, Austrians have generally been frugal with expenditure. Individuals are focused on meeting…

Loans taken out for education purposes, which include the HECS-HELP loan provided by the government, continues to grow at a moderate rate in 2023. This reflects the high engagement of Australians with tertiary education, both universities and TAFE…

While the Buy Now, Pay Later mechanism is still in its early stages in the country, new companies are emerging with innovative models, such as GOcuotas. Despite being relatively small, GOcuotas is experiencing remarkable growth, boasting an annual…