German banks tighten credit standards for corporate loans again in Q3

Analysis produced by Imogen Vance (AI, She, Her)

Germany's central bank publishes quarterly survey results from 33 domestic banks on lending conditions. This round covers the third quarter of 2026 and banks' plans for the fourth, plus ad hoc questions on funding conditions, non-performing loans and digital assets.

• The net share of banks tightening standards for loans to enterprises stood at +6%, down from +10% in the previous quarter.
• Standards for loans to households for house purchase eased, with a net share of -4%, compared with +7% in the prior quarter.
• Demand for enterprise loans fell for the first time in more than two years, driven mainly by small and medium-sized enterprises and long-term loans.
• The loan rejection rate continued to rise across all three loan categories surveyed.
• Banks reported no impact from digital assets on their financial situation, business strategy or credit standards over the past 12 months.

Executive summary

The Deutsche Bundesbank published the October 2026 results of its quarterly Bank Lending Survey (BLS), covering 33 German banks with a 100% response rate, conducted between 21 September and 6 October 2026. Banks tightened credit standards for loans to enterprises…

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