Lending growth in the euro zone accelerated in July, with loans to non-financial corporations rising to an annual rate of 4.4% from 4.0% in June, according to data released by the European Central Bank on Thursday.
Household lending also increased, climbing to a 3.1% annual growth rate in July from 3.0% in the prior month. The latest figures represent the first full month of lending data following the ECB’s June decision to raise interest rates for the first time in nearly three years.
The ECB’s data, published in Frankfurt, reflects continued but gradual improvement in credit conditions across the bloc. Analysts noted the modest uptick in corporate borrowing as a potential sign of stabilizing business activity, while household loan growth remained relatively stable, suggesting limited immediate impact from the central bank’s tighter monetary policy stance.
