Compared to the previous month, when new loans reached a record 8.32 billion lei, July saw a slight decline in the total amount of loans issued. The corporate sector continues to lead in terms of funding raised, as it traditionally has. Households continue to take out loans in two key categories: in July, mortgage loans totaling 1.001 billion lei were issued, and consumer loans totaling 1.748 billion lei.
The average interest rate on mortgage loans stood at about 8%. Meanwhile, as of July 1, 2026, the NBM’s official benchmark rate for variable-rate loans (including the PrimaCasă Plus program) rose to 5.66%. The final rate for borrowers is calculated as 5.66% plus the commercial bank’s fixed margin.
The weighted average interest rate on consumer loans averaged 10.6% per annum. Most of these loans were taken out by citizens in the national currency for medium-term periods.
In early August 2026, the NBM raised the base rate on main operations from 7% to 7.5% per annum in an effort to curb inflationary pressures. Despite the overall tightening of monetary policy, experts note record-high activity among the population in the mortgage and consumer loan sectors during the summer of 2026.
