The Bank of Portugal published a socio-demographic characterisation of individuals who took out new credit with resident financial institutions in 2024, based on Central Credit Register data and excluding loans arising from credit transfers between institutions. The release reports 2.2 million new credit contracts involving 1.7 million people, totalling EUR 29 billion, with the number of contracts similar to 2023 but the total amount 26% higher. New credit for owner-occupied primary residences increased to 90,000 contracts, up 32% year on year, and 43% of people taking out this type of housing credit were aged 18 to 35. Across all new credit, 61% of borrowers were employees and 41% had education equivalent to upper secondary level, while the share of foreign debtors rose from 13% in 2023 to 14% in 2024, with Brazilians accounting for half in both years. For primary residence mortgages, half of new loans were EUR 130,000 or less, two thirds were between EUR 50,000 and EUR 200,000, and 5% exceeded EUR 300,000; 80% of borrowers were employees, 53% had higher education, and 18% lived in the Porto Metropolitan Area and 22% in Greater Lisbon. Other housing credit represented 13% of the total amount of housing credit granted in 2024, with foreign debtors representing 30% of borrowers and 45% of the total amount, down from 50% in 2023; personal credit was taken out by 593,000 people with half of loans at EUR 3,500 or less, and 224,000 car credit contracts were signed, up 12%, with 74% below EUR 20,000. Interactive charts are available via the Bank of Portugal’s BPstat publications menu.

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