The Chile Financial Market Commission has published its March 2026 performance report for supervised banks and savings and credit cooperatives. The report shows bank lending returned to annual growth, rising 1.57 percent over 12 months to USD 299,389 million after the previous month’s decline, driven by a recovery in commercial lending. At the same time, cumulative banking profits fell 9.15 percent over 12 months to USD 1,439 million. Cooperatives recorded faster loan growth of 7.72 percent to USD 3,843 million, but their cumulative results also fell, down 16.09 percent to USD 28 million. For banks, consumer lending expanded for the 11th consecutive month and accelerated from February, while housing lending continued to grow but at a slower pace than in February. Aggregate credit risk indicators improved month on month, with the loan-loss provisions index falling to 2.57 percent from 2.61 percent, the arrears ratio of 90 days or more declining to 2.38 percent from 2.42 percent, and the impaired portfolio ratio decreasing to 6.04 percent from 6.14 percent. Banking profitability ratios also declined, with return on average equity at 14.52 percent and return on average assets at 1.28 percent. For cooperatives, stronger loan growth reflected higher activity across all three portfolios, with consumer and housing loans representing 68.34 percent and 27.43 percent of total loans and growing 5.35 percent and 15.05 percent respectively. Their risk indicators were mixed, as the provisions index edged up to 4.09 percent and the impaired portfolio ratio rose to 8.64 percent, while the arrears ratio of 90 days or more fell to 2.26 percent. Profitability ratios for cooperatives declined to 11.57 percent for return on average equity and 2.37 percent for return on average assets.

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