19.2 billion GEL deposited, 21.9 billion lent in January 2018

About 19.2 billion GEL was deposited in Georgian banks in January 2018, making for a 3.2 percent (627.1 million GEL) month-over-month decrease.

During the same time, Georgian banks lent 21.9 million GEL, which was 103 million GEL or 0.5 percent more compared to the previous month, show the latest data by the National Bank of Georgia (NBG).

Current tendencies of bank deposits and loans

Last month, the sum of term deposits (deposits made for a predetermined period of time) increased by 100.9 million GEL, while demand deposits, which allow for flexible withdrawal, also decreased by 728 million GEL.

The larisation ratio, which measures the use of the domestic currency in Georgia’s economy, constituted 35.65 percent in total non-bank deposits last month.

The annual average weighted interest rate on term deposits constituted 5.5 percent. In particular, the interest rate for national currency denominated deposits was 8.2 percent and the interest rate for foreign currency denominated deposits 2.9 percent.

Meanwhile, 84.2 percent of foreign currency deposits in Georgia during the same time period were denominated in US dollars, while 13.6 percent of deposits were made in euros.

As for loans taken out in Georgian lari, it increased by 426.6 million GEL (4.7 percent), while loans denominated in foreign currencies decreased by 323.6 million GEL (2.6 percent) month-over-month.

Over the course of January 2018, commercial banks issued 2.5 billion GEL worth of lari-denominated loans (0.7 percent less to the previous month). In the same month, 6.9 billion GEL worth of foreign currency denominated loans (three percent less) were made to resident legal entities.

There are 16 commercial banks in Georgia, including 15 foreign-owned banks and one branch of non-resident banks.