FX.co ★ Eurozone Lending Growth Misses Expectations

In January 2026, bank lending to households in the Eurozone increased by 3% year-on-year to €7.156 trillion, slightly below market expectations of 3.1%. The rise signals a continued recovery in credit demand, supported by the European Central Bank’s recent policy easing. By contrast, lending to businesses slowed, with growth easing to 2.8% from 3% in the previous month. Taken together, overall credit growth to the private sector—encompassing both households and non-financial corporations—remained steady at 3.3%, unchanged from December.