Total household debt to banks and MFIs has reached 44.4 trillion rubles
Almost 90% of Russian residents have taken out loans or used credit services over the past three years, despite the majority of respondents viewing such practices as undesirable. These findings are based on a survey conducted by the VTsIOM analytical center. This was reported by The Moscow Times citing TASS, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
According to the study, 86% of Russian citizens have accessed credit services within the last three years. Meanwhile, 63% of respondents consider this financial model a last resort that should be avoided. A significant portion of those surveyed remains tolerant toward missed payments: 79% find it acceptable to delay payments on consumer loans, and 90% feel the same regarding credit cards. Only 42% of borrowers confirmed they make payments exactly according to the schedule without delays.
Attitudes toward debtors
The social atmosphere regarding people with high debt levels in Russia remains relatively comfortable. Analysts discovered that 43% of respondents express sympathy toward individuals struggling with repayments, while only 26% express condemnation. Although over 72% of respondents consider loans for housing, healthcare, or education justifiable, only 27% admitted to having a good understanding of the credit sector.
Debt volume
According to data from the Central Bank of Russia, as of July 1, the total debt of Russian citizens to the banking sector and microfinance organizations reached 44.4 trillion rubles, accounting for approximately 20% of the country’s GDP. Over the past year, this sum increased by 2.7 trillion rubles, and since the start of the war, by 16.1 trillion rubles. Mortgages represent the largest portion of debt at 24.6 trillion rubles, followed by consumer loans at 14.3 trillion rubles, and auto loans at 3.1 trillion rubles.
Number of borrowers
At the start of 2026, 48.5 million people carried debt, representing nearly 58% of the entire working-age population. Statistics reveal a high level of debt reliance: 35.3 million citizens hold bank loans, with 11.3 million people simultaneously servicing three or more loans. Furthermore, 7.2 million people combine bank loans with debt from microfinance companies, while 6 million are exclusively clients of microfinance organizations.
Illustrative photo: Suikotei / CC BY-SA 4.0
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