Objective of the Survey of Bank Lending
Norges Bank’s quarterly survey of bank lending is a qualitative survey of banks’ assessment of credit demand and credit standards.
The nine largest banks in the Norwegian credit market participate in the survey: DNB, Nordea, Danske Bank1, Handelsbanken, Sparebank 1 Sør-Norge2, Sparebank 1 Østlandet, Sparebank 1 SMN, Sparebank 1 Nord-Norge and Sparebanken Norge3.
The survey provides information on changes in credit demand, banks’ credit standards, including loan conditions and prices, and the factors influencing banks’ credit standards and prices. Banks fill in the survey questionnaire immediately after each quarter-end. The survey was conducted for the first time after 2007 Q4.
The survey differentiates between lending to households and lending to non-financial corporates. In each question, banks are asked to compare developments in the previous quarter with the quarter that has just come to an end. They are also asked to compare the developments in the quarter that has just come to an end with their expectations for the next quarter. The questions are answered by choosing one of five responses: up a lot, up a little, same, down a little, down a lot. The responses are converted into a numerical scale ranging from +2 to -2 in the charts in this report. For example, if all banks in the sample report that credit demand is up a little, the resulting figure for credit demand will be 1. If all banks report that credit demand is up a lot, the figure will be 2. Banks’ responses are aggregated and weighted by loan volumes. The weights are updated every other year.
Norges Bank’s Staff Memo 17/2016 «Bankenes etterspørsel og kredittpraksis siden 2008: Resultater fra Norges Banks utlånsundersøkelse» provides an account of the Bank’s experience of the lending survey.
Footnotes
1) From 2024 Q4, Danske Bank is no longer included in the sample of banks reporting for the retail market.
2) Figures up to 2024 Q4 are based on responses from SpareBank 1 SR-Bank; from 2024 Q4, the figures are based on responses from SpareBank 1 Sør-Norge.
3) Figures up to 2025 Q2 are based on responses from Sparebanken Vest and Sparebanken Sør; from 2025 Q2, the figures are based on responses from Sparebanken Norge.