The volume of lending by commercial banks (including loans to non-residents) in July 2013 decreased by 36.0 million GEL (0.4 percent) compared to the previous month, constituting 9.1 billion GEL by August 1, 2013. The volume of loans provided in the national currency increased by 64.5 million GEL (2.1 percent) and the volume of loans in foreign currencies decreased by 100.5 million GEL (1.6 percent).

By the end of July 2013, commercial banks issued 836.1 million GEL worth of national currency-denominated loans (0.9 percent, or 7.2 million GEL, more than in the previous month) to resident legal entities and 3.9 billion GEL worth of loans in foreign currencies (2.6 percent, or 105.6 million GEL, less than the previous month).

Of the total volume of lending to legal entities, the biggest share falls on trade - 46.9 percent. Compared with the previous month, in July 2013 the volume of loans provided for trade decreased by 1.6 percent, or 36.6 million GEL, and constituted 2.2 billion GEL.

The share of loans provided to the industrial sector constituted 19.6 percent of all loans to legal entities, amounting to 925.4 million GEL by August 1, 2013 (3.0 percent, or 29.0 million GEL, less than in July 1, 2013); 9.2 percent falls on construction, amounting to 436.5 million GEL (a decrease of 3.7 percent, or 16.8 million GEL). Therefore, 75.7 percent of the total volume of lending to legal entities falls on only three sectors - industry, construction and trade.

The volume of lending to resident individuals increased by 2.1 percent, or 84.4 million GEL, during July 2013 and reached 4.1 billion GEL by August 1, 2013.

Current statistical information is published on the NBG's website: http://www.nbg.gov.ge/index.php?m=306&lng=eng