Norges Bank’s Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee unanimously kept the countercyclical capital buffer requirement unchanged at 2.5 percent. It assessed the Norwegian financial system as robust, with banks reporting strong profitability, low losses and capital and liquidity positions comfortably above regulatory requirements. Households and businesses continue to have good access to credit, while banks expect broadly unchanged loan demand and credit standards in the third quarter of 2026. Household credit growth has remained around 4.7 percent, and debt is expected to grow broadly in line with income. Risks remain from geopolitical uncertainty and banks’ substantial commercial real estate exposure, with property developers facing pressure on profitability and debt-servicing capacity and bank losses in that segment expected to rise somewhat.
Norges Bank2026-08-13
Norges Bank keeps countercyclical capital buffer requirement at 2.5 percent
Norges Bank unanimously kept the countercyclical capital buffer requirement at 2.5 percent. It judged the financial system robust and credit availability sound, while noting geopolitical uncertainty and continued strains among property developers.