The total balance sheet volume of banks in Estonia stood at €44.8 billion in March. This represented a 1.1 percent or €489 million decrease compared with the previous month. Compared with a year earlier, however, the volume grew by 6.1 percent or €2.6 billion, according to Eesti Pank.

The volume of deposits in banks was €31.5 billion in March. Compared with the previous month, the deposit volume increased by €345 million and compared with the same period last year, it grew by €1.9 billion.

Of the deposits, €7.5 billion consisted of term deposits held by resident households and businesses, marking a 5 percent annual increase. The volume of nonresident deposits grew by €268 million over the year and accounted for 15 percent of total deposits.

The volume of issued housing loans was €186 million in March. This was an 11 percent or €18 million increase compared with the previous month and a 32 percent or €45 million increase compared with the same period last year.

Car leasing transactions totaled €18 million in March. This was a 49 percent or €6 million increase from the previous month but a 38 percent or €11 million decrease compared with the same period last year.

The volume of long-term loans and leases issued to businesses in March was €462 million. This was 79 percent or €204 million higher than the previous month and 45 percent or €144 million higher than the same period last year.

The volume of loans to businesses that were over 60 days past due totaled €64 million in March. In the previous month, this figure stood at €44 million and a year earlier, at €26 million.

The volume of household loans over 60 days past due also increased compared with the previous month and stood at €50 million in March. A year earlier, this figure was €46 million. The volume of overdue housing loans amounted to €22 million, accounting for 0.2 percent of the total housing loan portfolio.

The average interest rate on long-term loans issued to businesses in March was 5.09 percent. In the previous month, the interest rate was 5.04 percent and a year earlier, it was 6.97 percent.

The average interest rate on new collateralized housing loans issued to households (excluding contract amendments) has been declining for the past 13 months and stood at 3.92 percent in March, which was 0.08 percentage points lower than the previous month and 1.52 percentage points lower than the same period last year.

The average interest rate on car leases was 4.31 percent in March, down 0.14 percentage points from the previous month and 1.29 percentage points from the same period last year.

The average interest rate on term deposits was 2.25 percent in March. In the previous month, the rate was 2.50 percent and a year earlier, it was 3.78 percent.

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