At the end of July 2008, the volume of lending by commercial banks (including loans to non-residents) grew by 1.9 billion lari (52.1%) as compared to the same period of 2007 and reached 5.7 billion lari. More specifically, the volume of loans provided in the national currency grew more than 2.0 times and constituted 2.0 billion lari, and the volume of loans in foreign currency grew by 34.3 % and exceeded 3.7 billion lari. At the same time, the currency makeup of loans has changed significantly: 34.4% are now denominated in lari and 65.6% - in foreign currency (compared to 25.7% and 74.3% last year).

The overdue loans constitute 1.7% of the total volume of lending. At the same time, compared to the same period of 2007 its volume grew 3.6 times and amounted to 99.0 million lari by August 1, 2008. 58.3% of total volume of overdue loans fall to the share of short-term loans.

During the last year the volume of long-term loans has been increasing at a higher rate than the volume of short-term loans (54.7% as compared to 41.1%), and constituted 70.1%  of the total volume of lending instead of 68.9% at the end of July of the last year.

As for the structure of loans in terms of borrower category, by the end of July 2008 commercial banks had issued to legal entities 909.0 million lari worth of national currency-denominated loans (1.7 times more than during the same period last year) and 2.3 billion lari worth of loans in foreign currency (13.8% more than during the same period last year).

During the last year the volume of lending has increased significantly in the spheres of Real Estate, Researches and Commercial Activity, where this indicator has increased 3.7 times and constituted 123.3 million lari. The volume of lending has increased 2.8 fold in the sphere of Health Care and Social Services and equaled 29.2 million lari. This rapid growth notwithstanding, the share of these sectors in the total amount of lending is insignificant and remains at the level of 3.9 and 0.9%.

Out of the total volume of lending to legal entities, the biggest share falls on trade - 47.1%. During the last year the volume of loans provided for trade grew by 23.1% and reached 1.5 billion lari.

After trade, the second biggest share of loans falls on those provided to the industrial sector - 19.7%, or 621.6 million lari, by August 1, 2008 (26.7% higher than the comparable figure a year before). Construction is next, with a 13.7% share (432.6 million lari and 47.4% year-on-year growth). Thus, 80.4% of the total volume of lending to legal entities falls only on three sectors - industry, construction and trade.

The volume of lending of individuals has grown significantly during the reporting period (2.1 times) and reached 2.4 billion lari by August 1, 2008, which shows that individual entrepreneurship is stirring up.

Current statistical Information is published on the statistics page.