Lending continues to support the growth of Ukrainian banks’ assets for the second year in a row. This is stated in the review of the banking sector for the first quarter of 2026, the NBU reports.
According to the review, the growth of net hryvnia loans to businesses and households accelerated compared to the previous quarter, and in annual terms approached a third. Among the key trends in the banking sector, analysts note the active growth of the loan portfolio and changes in the structure of banks’ assets. In particular, banks continued to increase investments in government bonds, while the volume of certificates of deposit decreased by 26.1% for the quarter. The highest growth rates in business lending were recorded in private and foreign banks. Long-term loans with a maturity of over three years grew most actively.
The leaders by industry were:
trade enterprises;
mechanical engineering, primarily the defense industry;
construction sector.
In the retail lending segment, growth picked up mainly due to unsecured loans, while the pace of mortgage and auto loans slowed. At the same time, the quality of the loan portfolio continued to improve. The share of non-performing loans (NPL) decreased to 12.9% due to the write-off of old problem debts and the growth of new higher-quality loans. Banks also continued to reduce the cost of loans to businesses. The average rate on hryvnia loans decreased to 15.1% per annum, and foreign banks offered the lowest rates – at 13.3%. Despite maintaining high net interest margins and operating efficiency, banks’ net profit in the first quarter fell by a third due to the increase in the income tax rate to 50%.
