Romanians took out RON48.4 billion new consumer and mortgage loans in lei and euro in 2021, RON14.1 billion or 41.1% above the 2020 level. Last year was a 15-year high, but also the biggest annual jump in retail loans since the central bank has been publishing such data.
By comparison, new retail loans in lei and euro in 2020 saw an annual decline of around 7% to RON34.3 billion, the first year of decline for new retail loans in eight years. In 2019, the growth rate of new retail loans slowed to 3.1%, after an annual growth rate of 14% in 2018 and an almost 7% increase in 2017.
New mortgage loans, in lei and euro, taken by individuals from banks in 2021 rose to RON21.2 billion, an increase of RON6.2 billion or 41.3% over 2020. While new mortgage loans in lei rose RON6.35 billion last year or 43.3% over 2020, to RON21 billion, new housing loans in euros fell by 33%, to the equivalent of RON227.8 million.
The leu remained the preferred currency for consumer and mortgage loans, with around 98% of new retail financing in lei.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)