Photo: Viktor Korotaev / Kommersant
In 2023, Russians took a record number of loans, and this despite the growth of the key rate and, accordingly, the rise in the cost of loans. The annual increase in the number of loans issued amounted to 39.7%, and in August the number of loans increased by 5.7% compared to July. Experts call the August growth natural against the background of preparation for school.
In numerical terms, the amount of new consumer loans reached 719 billion rubles, and in July this figure was at the level of 680 billion rubles.
The growth dynamics as a whole has been maintained throughout 2023, and April has completely broken all records, because Russians began to apply for loans en masse and the monthly increase was calculated in 3-digit numbers – +415%.
The number of overdue loans does not lag behind according to statistics. The shortage in bank accounts exceeds a trillion rubles. If you divide this amount for all citizens of the country, then everyone will owe more than 7,000 rubles.
Even a high interest rate does not cool the lending market. Russians are ready to overpay huge percentages just to get money here and now.
In general, during 2023, high inflation is maintained in Russia, even basic necessities are becoming more expensive. Sanctions are also affecting, so the price of goods is rising, but the level of wages is standing still. A decrease in purchasing power, as a rule, always leads to an increase in lending.
The situation is no better with credit cards. The average limit has increased to 97.8 thousand rubles, which is an increase of 150% over the past 1.5 years. The growth of this indicator is due to the active use of borrowed funds. In addition, credit cards began to be issued more often.
