Tourism, energy and property attract more financing/ New business credit increases in May. Trade loses ground
New business credit continued to grow in May, supported mainly by tourism, manufacturing and the energy sector. According to data from the Bank of Albania, private non-financial corporations received 25.5 billion lek in new credit, up from 23 billion lek in the same month last year, marking an increase of 11%.
Although wholesale and retail trade continues to hold the largest share of business borrowing, financing for this sector has declined. In May, trade businesses received 9.7 billion lek in new loans, about 10.5% less than a year earlier. This indicates that the overall expansion of lending has been supported by other branches of the economy.
The strongest growth among the main sectors was recorded by accommodation and food services. New loans to tourism businesses reached 3.7 billion lek, up from 2.2 billion lek in May 2025, increasing by 71%. The positive performance comes on the eve of the summer tourist season, when businesses increase investments and financing needs.
The manufacturing industry has also significantly expanded its borrowing. New loans to this sector reached 3.4 billion lek, or 51.8% more than a year ago. Strong growth was also recorded in the electricity, gas and steam sector, where borrowing increased more than fourfold, reaching 1.5 billion lek.
Although lending to the construction sector fell by 20%, real estate activities continued to attract more bank financing. New loans to this category increased by 25.8%, reaching 567.3 million lekë. The agriculture sector also attracted more bank financing in May, expanding by 112%.
On the other hand, several sectors have seen significant contractions in financing. Transport and warehousing loans fell by 75.7%, while the extractive industry recorded the sharpest decline, with 97.1% fewer new loans compared to May last year. Construction also registered a contraction of 20%, while financing for the education sector fell by 91.9%.
Overall, the data show that business credit growth in May was supported by sectors related to manufacturing, tourism and energy, while trade, although remaining the largest beneficiary of bank financing, is no longer the main driver of lending expansion.
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