No changes were made to credit standards or terms and conditions for loans to businesses in the third quarter of 2026, according to data released by the Bank of Greece. Demand was much the same, remaining almost unchanged.
Credit standards for loans to individuals also remained unchanged. Terms and conditions diverged, however: those for mortgage loans tightened, while those for consumer loans eased. Demand for the former was almost unchanged and for the latter unchanged in the third quarter of 2026.
Loans to non-financial corporations
In the third quarter of 2026, credit standards for loans to non-financial corporations (NFCs) remained unchanged from the second quarter of 2026 (Chart 1), in line with expectations expressed in the previous quarter’s survey. Banks expect credit standards to remain unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Overall terms and conditions for loans to NFCs remained unchanged in the third quarter of 2026 from the previous quarter.
In the third quarter of 2026, total demand for loans from NFCs remained almost unchanged, with a slight decline (Chart 2). For the fourth quarter of 2026, banks expect total demand from NFCs to remain almost unchanged, with a slight increase.
In the third quarter of 2026, the share of applications for business loans that were rejected remained unchanged from the previous quarter (Chart 3).
Chart 1 - Credit standards (average)
Loans to households
In the third quarter of 2026, credit standards for mortgage and consumer loans to households remained unchanged from the second quarter of 2026 (Chart 1), and are expected to remain unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Overall terms and conditions for mortgage loans tightened slightly during the third quarter of 2026, owing to non-interest charges. Overall terms and conditions for consumer and other loans eased somewhat, as banks’ margins narrowed for both standard loans and higher-risk loans.
Demand for mortgage loans remained almost unchanged, while demand for consumer loans was unchanged in the third quarter of 2026 (Chart 2). Demand for mortgage and consumer loans is expected to remain unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2026.
In the third quarter of 2026, the share of applications for mortgage and consumer loans remained unchanged (Chart 3).
