The Hong Kong Monetary Authority published the results of its third quarter 2025 Survey on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises’ Credit Conditions, reporting that SMEs’ credit conditions remained broadly stable. Excluding respondents who answered “no idea / don’t know”, 59% of SMEs perceived banks’ credit approval stance as “similar” or “easier” than six months earlier, down from 65% in the previous quarter, while 41% perceived it as “more difficult” (up from 35%). Among SMEs with existing credit lines, 3% reported a “tighter” stance (up from 1%), and 2% of respondents applied for new bank credit during the quarter; among those who already knew the outcome, 72% reported fully or partially successful applications (up from 67%). The HKMA cautioned that results for SMEs with existing credit lines (15% of the sample) and with new credit applications (2%) may be prone to large fluctuations due to small sample sizes and that perceptions may not directly reflect actual bank credit supply.
Hong Kong Monetary Authority 2025-11-07
Hong Kong Monetary Authority publishes third quarter 2025 SME credit survey showing broadly stable conditions but less positive sentiment on bank approval stance
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority's third quarter 2025 survey indicates that credit conditions for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) remained broadly stable. However, 59% of SMEs perceived banks' credit approval stance as "similar" or "easier" than six months ago, down from 65% in the previous quarter, while 41% found it "more difficult," up from 35%. The HKMA noted potential fluctuations due to small sample sizes for SMEs with existing credit lines and new credit applications.