Spanish household consumer credit surges 11.3% in April

Credit to Spanish households keeps rising. Higher prices, driven by the conflict in the Middle East, are among the factors behind the increase in borrowing by households and non-profit institutions serving households, which in April exceeded 712 billion euros, 2.8% more than a year earlier, according to data the Bank of Spain published on Monday.

Corporate lending also increased, although at a slower pace, rising 1.4% year-on-year to 954.656 billion euros. The monthly picture, however, slightly tempers the optimism. Compared with March, household credit fell by 8.079 billion euros, while corporate lending declined by 1.656 billion.

Beyond the headline figures, consumer loans for everyday spending, such as cars, household appliances and holidays, surged 11.3% compared with the same month in 2025. This acceleration contrasts with the more moderate growth in mortgages, which rose 4.1% to 523.604 billion euros, although this category still accounts for almost three-quarters of household debt. By contrast, other types of household loans fell by 17.6% year-on-year, reaching 66.224 billion euros.

On the corporate side, bank credit remains resilient, rising 3.2% to 479.814 billion euros, while debt securities recorded a stronger increase of 5.3% to 149.940 billion. The weakest figure comes from external financing, where foreign-sourced loans fell by 2.8% to 324.903 billion euros.