The Central Bank released the Monetary and Credit Statistics for May, highlighting that the balance of extended credit to the non-financial sector reached R$19.1 trillion — equivalent to 157.2% of GDP. The growth was 0.7% in the month and 12.2% over 12 months, driven by increases in public debt securities (+10.9%), loans from the National Financial System (+11.2%), private securities (+18.8%), and external loans (+9.9%).

Among companies, extended credit totaled R$6.7 trillion (54.8% of GDP), with an increase of 0.8% in the month and 13.7% over 12 months. Extended credit to households reached R$4.4 trillion (36.4% of GDP), growing 0.5% in May and 12.3% over 12 months.

The stock of credit operations from the National Financial System (SFN) reached R$6.7 trillion in May (+0.6% in the month), with R$2.5 trillion allocated to companies (+0.8%) and R$4.1 trillion to individuals (+0.4%). Free credit totaled R$3.8 trillion, while directed credit reached R$2.8 trillion.

The average interest rate on new loans is 31.5% per year, with a banking spread of 20.2 percentage points. Overall default rate stood at 3.5% — for free credit, 4.9%, being 3.1% for companies and 6.1% for households.

These figures reinforce the importance of constantly monitoring economic indicators for companies seeking credit, renegotiation, or solid financial planning.

For entrepreneurs, tracking these variations is essential to understand the real cost of credit, renegotiate terms, plan safe expansion, or even anticipate working capital needs. Based on these figures, strategic decisions become more predictable, avoiding surprises that could impact cash flow and new investments.

Check the full report on the Central Bank’s website https://www.bcb.gov.br/estatisticas/estatisticasmonetariascredito