Economically weakest counties have the highest loan delinquency rate

Bank customers in Teleorman and Ialomita have the highest amount of delinquent loans, which account for over 3% in the overall contracted loans, compared to the nationwide average of 1.1%, according to September data provided by the NBR. RON decline against the euro and the interest raising trend have eroded loan repayment capacity, the more so as the respective counties are weakly developed, with a low average wage level. Bucharest, which has the biggest debts to banks, fills a comfortable position in terms of instalment payment, at the bottom of the ranking of counties with delinquent loans, with a rate of 0.93% of loan delinquencies in overall contracted loans. Analysts say customers’ overdue payments to banks must not be regarded in absolute volume, but as a share of loans granted, and that the average 1% for bad loans is not a threat, as it is much lower than in other countries in the region. The territorial difference in terms of loan delinquencies is accounted for by the GDP per capita gaps between counties and also by the high volume of loans granted in big counties, which is lowering the share of delinquent loans. GDP per capita for the counties with the highest rate of loan delinquency is much lower than Romania’s GDP per capita.