Non-systemic banks stand out in net lending growth

Bank recognition maturation to the backstage assemblage slowed past year, Bank of Greece (BoG) governor Yannis Stournaras said successful his caller code to the wide meeting.

The politician noted that the gait of enlargement remains supra the eurozone average, adding that the slowdown was chiefly driven by weaker lending maturation to companies and self-employed professionals. A person speechmaking of the information highlights an important trend: the 4 systemic banks focused their enactment connected loans co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Excluding this segment, they accounted for astir fractional of nett recognition expansion, with the remainder driven by cooperative banks and, successful particular, the two non-systemic lenders, CrediaBank and Optima Bank.

New lending

According to 2025 results, Eurobank granted caller loans of 5.3 cardinal euros, National Bank granted loans of 3.5 billion, Piraeus Bank 3.9 cardinal euros, and Alpha Bank 3.5 billion. In total, the 4 systemic banks disbursed 16.2 cardinal successful caller credit, importantly exceeding their archetypal target of 13 billion.

Among non-systemic lenders, CrediaBank reported 3.4 cardinal successful caller disbursements and Optima Bank 3.7 billion, bringing the combined total to 7.1 billion. Cooperative banks are estimated to person granted astir 1 cardinal successful lending. Overall, caller loans exceeded 24 cardinal euros, approaching 24.5 cardinal euros. Systemic banks accounted for astir two-thirds of caller lending, while the two non-systemic banks represented astir 30%.

However, these figures bash not bespeak nett recognition expansion, which captures the existent summation successful slope financing aft repayments, refinancing and indebtedness maturities.

Net recognition expansion

According to monthly information from the European Central Bank, nett caller lending stood astatine 9.18 cardinal euros successful 2025. This fig is astatine the precocious extremity of marketplace estimates (8.5–9.5 billion) and whitethorn beryllium slightly inflated owed to technical factors, including seasonal adjustments successful some components.

On this basis, nett recognition enlargement from the 4 systemic banks was conscionable supra 5.5 cardinal euros. Roughly fractional of this came from Eurobank, with the remaining stock split among the different three lenders, led by Piraeus Bank and followed by Alpha Bank.

CrediaBank reported nett recognition enlargement of 1.1 cardinal euros, while Optima Bank recorded 1.5 cardinal euros. Cooperative banks contributed a importantly smaller amount, estimated astatine 200–400 cardinal euros.

RRF-related lending

In lodging credit, for the archetypal clip successful 16 years, nett lending turned positive, though this was mostly driven by the programme “My Home II”, which contributed 830 cardinal euros. Consumer recognition made lone a marginal publication to wide nett expansion.