Retail lending in Russia accelerated sharply by the end of summer 2026

Towards the end of summer, the growth rate of retail lending to Russians accelerated sharply. RIA Novosti reports this with reference to data from the United Credit Bureau (UCB).

At the end of August, citizens issued a record 4.36 retail loans over the past two years, analysts said. In annual terms, the increase was 23 percent, experts explained. For comparison, in August last year the figure was 3.53 million units. Thus, over the year it jumped by 830 thousand units.

Over the last month of summer, the number of approvals of such loans in the domestic market increased by 7 percent, or by 290 thousand units. In July, the number of retail loans issued was estimated at 4.07 million.

Along with the number of loans issued, their total volume also increased significantly - by 12 percent in annual terms and by 6 percent in monthly terms. In August 2026, Russians collected retail loans worth 1.26 trillion rubles, the industry bureau stated.

Experts attribute the increase in Russian demand for loans to a gradual decline in market rates against the backdrop of a protracted decline in the key rate. Despite this, loan conditions in Russia still remain prohibitive for a significant part of the population, analysts emphasize.