Economy in Focus #11 - The state of corporate and household credit in the EU

In the 11th edition of Economy in Focus, Intrum’s Senior Economist, Anna Zabrodzka-Averianov, delivers key insights into the pressing issues surrounding corporate and household indebtedness in the EU. The report was published in October 2024.

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Corporate insolvencies on the rise

Insolvency rates across Europe have surged, with Germany, Italy, and France seeing double-digit increases.

Shifts in household credit trends

While mortgage lending has plateaued since the pandemic, consumer credit has surged.

The impact of rate cuts

Despite expectations of rate cuts by the ECB, businesses and households may not experience immediate relief.

Anna Zabrodzka-Averianov, Senior Economist at Intrum

Comment from Intrum's Senior Economist:

"As we enter a monetary policy easing cycle, many are thus wondering how that will impact households, corporations, and the economy. While we see some signs of improvement, this isn’t fully reflected in the credit data yet.

I expect household lending to rise gradually moving forward, but at a slower pace than after the pandemic, while consumer lending growth will begin to decelerate. This aligns with broader trends we’ve observed, such as increased consumer credit to manage rising living costs"

How will these trends impact the financial future?

Download the Economy in Focus #11

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Previous editions of Economy in Focus:

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