Credits increase by 12.3% in 2022

The balance of credit to the private sector amounted to 451,872.9 million lempire (58.2% of nominal GDP), as of 20 October 2022, 49,498.5 million lempire (12.3%) higher than the balance recorded in December. 2021, the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH) reported.

The credit owed by private companies reached a balance of 252,716.7 million lempire, equal to 55.9 per cent of the total; while families recorded 199,156.2 million lempira, 44.1 per cent of the total.

Lending to the private sector recorded a year-over-year increase of 69,178.2 million nominal lempires (18.1%) compared to that recorded on the same date in 2021, when it increased by 26,122.5 million lempires (7.3 %).

The result for 2022 was essentially derived from the increase in national currency of 69,434.5 million lempira (25.3%), while in foreign currency it decreased by 256.3 million (0.2%).

Total credit granted to businesses recorded inter-year growth of 19.1 per cent and households of 16.8 per cent. Meanwhile, foreign currency credit to households increased by 19.7 percent and to businesses decreased by 2.4 percent. The foreign currency behavior of companies is mainly explained by the amortization of the credit of non-currency generators in the commercial sector and strategic national development projects (essentially of three banking institutions).

According to preliminary data, the cumulative flow of new loans from January to September 2022 was 297,668.1 million lempire, registering a year-over-year growth of 35.5 percent (higher than the 14.4% recorded at the same date in 2021).

The destination that generated the greatest contribution to the flow of new credit starting from September 2022 was consumption (11.6%), followed by services (7.9%) and commerce (6.4%), according to same report as BCH.