Credit without emotions: how to avoid debt traps

the year 2025 shows an optimistic trend: the share of non-performing loans is gradually decreasing amid the growth of banks' loan portfolios. This is good news, but at the same time, the second quarter saw a slight increase in the volume of non-performing loans in both state-owned and private banks.

If we look at the National Bank's figures, the share of NPLs (non-performing loans) decreased from 30.3% to 27% in the first six months of 2025. Yes, the volume of such loans decreased by only 1.6%, but at the same time, the total loan portfolio of banks grew by 10%. And it is this growth that partially "diluted" the percentage of non-performing loans.

The most noticeable decline occurred in banks with private and foreign capital. On the contrary, state-owned - saw a slight increase in the volume of such loans. It is difficult to say whether this is the result of repayment or write-off of -. But the fact remains that the largest share of non-performing loans is traditionally concentrated in state-owned banks. The reasons are not new, but the most important one is certainly the consequences of the war -, including the destruction of enterprises and the occupation of the regions where they operated.

There is another interesting point: in the corporate segment, the share of non-performing loans is almost three times higher than that of individuals - 35.5% vs. 14%. And this is not surprising: large enterprises suffered the most.

Where is the "risk zone" in consumer lending

The most risky - are cash loans, including credit limits on cards. These are relatively small amounts, but they are often taken out in situations where there are already financial problems or other outstanding debts. The cost of such a resource is high, and the repayment can be a serious blow to a personal budget.