21 July 2026
- Credit standards tightened moderately for firms amid higher perceived risks
- Business loan demand rose slightly, while household loan demand decreased
- Credit standards tightened most in sectors such as the car industry and energy-intensive manufacturing
According to the July 2026 bank lending survey (BLS), euro area banks reported a moderate net tightening of credit standards – banks’ internal guidelines or loan approval criteria – for and and for the four largest euro area countries.
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Notes
- A report on this survey round is available on the ECB’s website, along with a copy of the questionnaire, a glossary of BLS terms and a BLS user guide with information on the BLS series keys.
- The euro area and national data series are available on the ECB’s website via the ECB Data Portal. National results, as published by the respective national central banks, can be obtained via the ECB’s website.
- For more detailed information on the BLS, see Köhler-Ulbrich, P., Dimou, M., Ferrante, L. and Parle, C., “Happy anniversary, BLS – 20 years of the euro area bank lending survey”, Economic Bulletin, Issue 7, ECB, 2023, and Huennekes, F. and Köhler-Ulbrich, P., “What information does the euro area bank lending survey provide on future loan developments?”, Economic Bulletin, Issue 8, ECB, 2022.
