In this year's first two months, excluding the effect of the exchange rate, loans grew 2.1 per cent from the end of 2004. Loans to citizens reached 65.56 billion kuna at the end of February, up 285 million kuna from the end of last year, with housing loans going up 237 million kuna.
On the annual level, loans to citizens at the end of February 2005 were 9.8 billion kuna or 17.6 per cent higher than in February 2004.
Housing loans account for one third of loans to citizens, amounting to 21.6 billion kuna at the end of February 2005, up four billion kuna or 22.7 per cent from February 2004.
Loans to companies at the end of February this year amounted to 53.6 billion kuna, up 239 million kuna from December 2004 and 3.8 billion kuna from February 2004.
Net bank loans to the government in this year's first two months went up 2.6 billion kuna to 16.6 billion kuna at the end of February which, according to the Croatian National Bank, is in keeping with the government's intention to focus on financing on the domestic market, primarily by using commercial banks' funds.
(EUR1 = 7.4 kuna)