Budapest, 28 August 2026 — The corporate loan portfolio of credit institutions increased by 11.5 per cent, while the household loan portfolio grew by 19.6 per cent in the year to June 2026. According to banks, demand for short-term loans picked up in the second quarter, while they saw no turnaround in demand for long-term loans. In the household segment, market participants observed a decline in demand for housing loans, while interest in consumer loans increased.
The annual growth rate of the corporate loan portfolio stood at 11.5 per cent at the end of June 2026, exceeding both the regional (8.8 per cent) and EU average (4.1 per cent). Based on preliminary data, the SME loan portfolio grew by 11.1 per cent year-on-year. Following the more subdued growth in the first quarter, stronger portfolio growth was seen in the second quarter.
The quarterly value of new contracts was nevertheless around 30 per cent lower than in the same period of the previous year. This was partly due to the relatively small number of larger-value loan contracts concluded during the quarter. The share of subsidised loans increased marginally, accounting for 23 per cent of total new (non-overdraft) corporate disbursement and 38 per cent of loans extended to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The loan contracts concluded under the Széchenyi Card Programme contributed the most to the volume of subsidised lending.
According to banks’ responses to the Lending Survey, there were no significant changes in lending conditions for corporates in the second quarter, meaning that supply-side conditions have remained virtually unchanged for three years. In terms of price conditions, the financing cost of larger-value HUF loan contracts decreased most notably: for loans exceeding EUR 1 million, market-based transactions with an interest-rate period of up to one year were contracted at an average interest rate of 8 per cent with a spread of 1.8 percentage points, while for loans of up to EUR 1 million, the average interest rate was 8.5 per cent with a spread of 2.4 percentage points.
A net 17 per cent of banks reported increased demand for corporate loans in the second quarter, driven by clients’ growing demand for inventory and receivables financing. A small proportion of credit institutions reported increased demand for both HUF-denominated and foreign currency loans, and by maturity, they observed stronger demand for short-term loans. For long-term loans, however, a net 16 per cent of banks reported a decline in demand for loans. Looking ahead to 2026 H2, half of the banks expect demand for corporate loans to continue increasing, both for HUF-denominated and foreign currency loans. For long-term loans, a net 19 per cent of banks already expect an increase in demand, driven by growing investment needs and lower interest rates.
The growth of the household loan portfolio, which has been accelerating for more than two years, continued in 2026 Q2. The household loan portfolio grew by 19.6 per cent year-on-year, significantly exceeding both the regional average (8.2 per cent) and the EU average (3.2 per cent). The outstanding increase of nearly HUF 730 billion in household lending was mainly driven by housing loans, including loan contracts concluded under the Home Start Programme, as well as personal loan disbursements. The value of newly concluded household loan contracts increased to one and a half times the level recorded in the same period of the previous year, reaching more than HUF 1,300 billion.
By mid-August 2026, a total of HUF 2,000 billion worth of loan contracts had been concluded under the Home Start programme, comprising 56,000 contracts. The contractual amount of Home Start loans is significantly higher (an average of HUF 35 million) than that of HPS Plus loans (HUF 20 million) and market-based loans for house purchase or construction (HUF 18 million).
Personal loans are the dominant form of consumer lending. The value of new loan contracts has been on an upward trend since March 2026, resulting in record-high quarterly disbursement. Average loan amounts also increased year-on-year. Higher available loan amounts are increasingly being used for housing purposes, refinancing and loan redemption, while top-ups are also common. At the same time, the riskiness of personal loan borrowers is moderate, and their income strain has not increased significantly.
Lending conditions did not change for either housing loans or consumer loans during the quarter, and no changes are expected in the second half of the year. The average interest rate paid by customers on new housing loans fell to 3.6 per cent when the Home Start programme was introduced and has remained at this level since then. The average interest rate on market-based housing loans remained unchanged at 6.4 per cent. The average interest rate on personal loans decreased to 14.1 per cent at the end of the quarter.
In the Lending Survey for 2026 Q2, one-third of banks on a net basis reported a decline in demand for housing loans; however, this has not yet been reflected in either the number or volume of new loan contracts. Looking ahead, an increasing proportion of banks expect demand to decline, but with demand remaining high due to the Home Start programme, lending volumes may nevertheless remain significant. In the quarter, a net 80 per cent of banks reported an increase in demand for consumer loans, which they expect to persist over the course of the year.