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 billion (33% of total) as the households’ propensity for forex loans has significantly decreased over the past years. 

The stock of local currency-denominated loans rose by 3.6% y/y to RON 315.8 billion, dragged up by household borrowing. Specifically, the stock of household loans denominated in local currency rose by 8.1% y/y to RON 200.5 billion. 

The stock of deposits in Romanian banks increased slightly faster than the loans, by 7.8% y/y to RON 684.6 billion (EUR 130 billion) at the end of July. Some 32% of these are forex-denominated deposits.

The share of the deposit-to-GDP ratio also decreased marginally, to 35.2% at the end of July from 35.5% one year earlier.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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