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In May, bank deposits and commercial bank lending to the Non-Financial Private Sector (SPNF) registered a widespread slowdown, influenced by weak economic activity and the fading exchange rate effect. Credit grew at a real annual rate of 7.4%, while deposits slowed to a real annual rate of 4.4%.

In April 2025, the fade out of the exchange rate depreciation influenced the lower dynamism of the balance of the current credit portfolio granted by commercial banks to the SPNF (8.2% YoY in real terms) and the balance of traditional bank deposits (6.1% YoY in real terms).

In February, outstanding loans to the non-financial private sector maintained double-digit annual growth, while traditional deposits slowed by 1.7% YoY in real terms compared to January. This trend is consistent with a context of anticipated foreign demand to avoid tariffs amid a local slowdown.

Despite the economic slowdown, credit granted by commercial banks to the private sector grew 14.4% YoY in nominal terms. The balance of traditional bank deposits also grew at a nominal rate of 10.2% YoY. In both cases, businesses were the main driver behind this growth.

Spanish banks are rapidly translating the reduction in official interest rates to new lending operations' interest rates, which benefits borrowers. In the case of deposits, the transmission is slightly slower than in the hiking cycle, which benefits depositors.

The effects of the exchange rate depreciation and the "Buen fin" influenced the acceleration of current credit to a nominal annual rate of 13.2% in November. This also influenced the acceleration of bank deposits up to 10.5% nominal. Going forward, the weakness of activity and employment points to a slowdown.

In August, both deposits and credit rose in annual terms with respect to July, supported, in part, by the accounting effect of the exchange rate depreciation. Companies and other financial intermediaries were behind the increase in deposits, while consumer and business credit supported credit.

The economic slowdown is already showing effects on banking activity. In July, credit to the non-financial private sector registered a widespread weakening, while traditional deposits grew less than in June, even considering the boosting effect of the exchange rate depreciation.