- by croatiaweek
- November 2, 2026
- in
Croatian households had accumulated €29.6 billion in bank loans by the end of September 2026, an increase of €2.9 billion compared with the same period last year, according to new figures published by the Croatian National Bank (HNB).
The latest statistics provide an insight into the financial position of households, showing that borrowing continues to increase faster than savings.
Of the €29.6 billion in household loans, €15 billion consisted of housing loans, while €11.6 billion was made up of cash and other non-purpose loans.
Household lending increased by 10.9% year-on-year, compared with growth of 11% recorded at the end of June.
However, the figures reveal different trends between mortgage and cash borrowing.
Housing loans increased by 12.5% over the year, slightly slower than the 13% growth recorded in June.
By contrast, the annual growth rate of cash loans accelerated from 9.2% to 10.2%.
Other household loans recorded slower growth, falling from 8.2% to 6.3%.
At the same time, Croatian households continued to hold substantial amounts of money in bank deposits.
Deposits belonging to households reached €43.9 billion at the end of September, an increase of €2.2 billion, or 5.2%, compared with a year earlier.
This means households still held considerably more money in bank deposits than they owed through loans. However, borrowing was increasing at more than twice the rate of household deposits.
The majority of household deposits were held in accounts accessible immediately, rather than in fixed-term savings.
Overnight household deposits amounted to €34.1 billion, while fixed-term deposits totalled €9.9 billion.
The HNB also reported that total loans to domestic sectors, including households, businesses and the government, reached €53.9 billion.
Loans to non-financial companies amounted to €18.5 billion, up €1.6 billion or 9.7% year-on-year.
Total domestic deposits reached €73.8 billion, an annual increase of 6.8%.
The figures suggest that credit demand remains strong in Croatia, particularly for housing and cash borrowing, while household savings continue to grow at a more moderate pace.