Banks raise credit bureau service use 16 percent in H1 2026
Banks used 16 percent more credit bureau services in H1 2026 than a year earlier, according to the Bank of Russia. Their demand for credit reports rose 18 percent, while services supplied to microfinance organizations fell 12 percent.
Banks drive demand for checks
Banks received 1.234 billion credit reports in H1 2026, up 192 million year on year.
Total reports supplied to users rose 13.6 percent.
Requests for average monthly payment information increased 24 percent to 314 million; bank demand rose 30 percent as unsecured consumer lending increased 31 percent.
Credit scores supplied rose 8 percent to 721 million, including 54 million for microfinance organizations, versus 41 million a year earlier.
Russia had six credit bureaus, four qualified, covering 124.6 million subjects: 123.4 million individuals and 1.2 million legal entities.
Information submissions fell 10 percent to 11.5 billion, partly because systemically important banks optimized reporting and reduced submissions 19 percent.
Self-bans meet broader fraud controls
More than 22 million citizens had used the voluntary consumer borrowing ban service, and over 21 million had bans in place on July 1, 2026.
Applications, including repeats, approached 26 million; removals averaged 185,000 monthly.
Installment purchase data entered credit histories on April 1, 2026.
Electronic exchanges with the Federal Bailiff Service begin November 26, 2026.
From December 31, 2026, banks and microfinance organizations must supply anti-fraud data to credit bureaus and obtain it from qualified bureaus.
Potential savings, not guaranteed returns
The report estimates 419 rubles of potential overdue-debt reduction per ruble spent on credit reports for Q2 2025 lending.
It divides a 1,111-ruble debt gap by a 2.65-ruble report cost.
The comparison tracks debt overdue more than 90 days within the first 12 months, rather than guaranteed savings.