Central Bank of Nicaragua publishes March banking system indicators with deposits up 16.9 percent and credit up 11.6 percent

The Central Bank of Nicaragua published its March 2026 banking and financial system indicators note, showing that the system maintained double digit annual growth in public deposits and lending, while credit quality improved and liquidity, profitability and solvency remained above regulatory limits. Public deposits rose 16.9 percent year on year to NIO 290,168.3 million and the loan portfolio increased 11.6 percent to NIO 243,326.2 million. Year to date, funding growth was driven mainly by higher obligations to the public of NIO 14,930.1 million and, to a lesser extent, an increase in equity of NIO 2,394.6 million. These resources were used mainly to increase investments by NIO 7,369.9 million and gross loans by NIO 5,220.9 million, while cash rose by NIO 2,397.2 million and obligations to financial institutions fell by NIO 2,298.0 million. Performing loans accounted for 95.8 percent of gross loans and the past due loan ratio was 1.2 percent. Liquidity, measured as cash and cash equivalents over public deposits, stood at 34.5 percent. The biweekly reserve requirement exceeded the required level in both local currency and USD, with month end effective rates of 15.9 percent and 15.7 percent respectively. Return on equity was 13.4 percent, return on assets 2.3 percent, and capital adequacy 18.2 percent at end-March.