Italian bank lending expands 3.1 percent in second quarter
Total bank lending in Italy expanded by 3.1 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 1.86 trillion euros. Growth was supported by consumer households and mortgages, while lending to small businesses contracted across all regions.
Households and mortgages drive volume growth
Total bank lending reached €1,859.3 billion at the end of June 2026, with loans to resident customers accounting for €1,753.8 billion.
Credit to consumer households grew 3.2 percent year-on-year, supported by residential mortgages, which reached a total stock of €424.7 billion.
New mortgage contracts disbursed during the second quarter totaled €13.2 billion, alongside €501 million in subrogations and €120 million in substitutions.
In contrast, total financing to non-financial companies rose by 2.6 percent, while lending to small firms shrank 3.6 percent nationally.
Regional variations were sharp: lending in Central Italy grew 5.2 percent, led by a 12.3 percent surge in corporate loans in Lazio, while Valle d'Aosta recorded an overall contraction of 6.8 percent.
Deposits climb past two trillion euros
Total deposits held by banks and CDP climbed to €2,249.3 billion, with resident deposits standing at €2,128.6 billion.
Customer assets under management reached €3,418.1 billion, led by €813.8 billion in Italian government securities and €1,099.8 billion in collective investment undertakings.
Consumer credit reached €182.8 billion, with specialized financial intermediaries providing €52.3 billion.
Deposit rates remained low, averaging 0.10 percent for corporate deposits under €50,000 and 0.62 percent for corporate balances exceeding €250,000.
A two-tier credit dynamic
The credit expansion masks a persistent squeeze on small firms across Italian regions.
Household mortgage demand drives headline growth while small business lending continues to shrink.
This divergence underscores uneven credit access that aggregate figures obscure.
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