Tirana "can't get enough" of loans - BoA: 17% growth in the capital. Vlora, less demand for financing from banks
The loan taken out by the citizens of Tirana has set a new record in the first quarter of 2025. The latest data from the Bank of Albania shows that the value of the loan reached 217 billion lek at the end of March, marking an increase of 17% compared to the same period a year ago.
This increase is higher than in any other region of the country. So, the capital's residents are the ones who have requested the most financing from banks in the first 3 months of this year.
Although Vlora is the third city with the highest loan value, specifically 9.3 billion lekë, the loan granted in January-March was smaller compared to a year earlier. In other words, the loan taken by Vlora residents had the lowest growth, only 5%.
Meanwhile, Durrës is the second region with the highest total value and credit growth. According to official statistics, loans granted by commercial banks reached 21.6 billion lek in the first quarter.
What was this loan mostly used for?
The main purpose for which citizens take out loans is to buy a house. This is especially noticeable in Tirana, where there is a large gap between housing and consumer loans. In the capital, loans taken out for housing purchases are recorded at 159 billion lek, while consumer loans are only 51 billion lek.
Elbasan and Shkodra are the two cities where the demand for consumer loans has been almost the same as that for home purchases.
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