According to the October 2026 bank lending survey (BLS), euro area banks reported a further net tightening of credit standards – banks’ internal guidelines or loan approval criteria – for loans or credit lines to enterprises in the third quarter of 2026 (net percentage of 9% of banks; Chart 1). Banks reported unchanged credit standards for loans to households for house purchase (net percentage of 0%) and a further net tightening for consumer credit and other lending to households (net percentage of 14%). For firms, the net tightening surpassed the expectations reported by banks in the previous survey round (5%).
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