The Bank of Lithuania has conducted a third annual study of loan and deposit balances and their breakdown by county in the Republic of Lithuania.
At the end of 2003 commercial banks and foreign bank branches had granted loans amounting to LTL 12.1 billion. Compared to the end of the previous year, loans grew by LTL 4.1 billion, or 52.5 per cent. Deposits in banks totalled LTL 13.6 billion at the end of 2003, increasing over the year by LTL 1.9 billion, i.e. 21.2 per cent.
Borrowers with debt up to LTL 20,000 accounted for 81.1 per cent of total borrowers (70.5% at the end of 2002) and only 3.6 per cent of the total balance of loans (2.8% at the end of 2002). 84.4 per cent of such borrowers were natural persons, an increase of 8.9 per cent compared to the end of the previous year. The balance of their loans accounted for 16.9 per cent of the total balance of loans (down by 0.3%). Loans with a balance of LTL 5 million or more accounted for the majority of loans (50.2%) (54.0% at the end of 2002).
The largest borrowers were public, municipal and private undertakings (LTL 9.1 billion, i.e. 75.0% of the total loan balance). Compared to the end of 2002, borrowing by public, municipal and private undertakings increased by LTL 3.1 billion.
The breakdown of deposits by ownership reveals that households were the best savers. They accounted for 96.1 per cent of depositors, and their deposits made up 58.1 per cent of the deposit balance. The largest number of depositors held balances from LTL 10,000 to LTL 30,000 (32.7%). Deposits of natural persons in excess of LTL 1 million made up 2.5 per cent of the total deposit balance (90 deposits). At the end of 2002 deposits over LTL 1 million made up 2.4 per cent of the total balance (76 deposits). 78.3 per cent of public, municipal and private undertakings accounted for 81.3 per cent of the total deposit balance in the deposit group of this size (down by 2.8%).
The largest volume of loans, like during the previous period, was granted in Vilnius County, accounting for 31.8 per cent of borrowers and 48.6 per cent of the loan balance. The lowest borrowing level was recorded in Tauragė County, with 2.6 per cent of total borrowers and 1 per cent of the loan balance.
The saving level was also highest in Vilnius County. Depositors here accounted for 39.4 per cent of total depositors, and their deposits made up 44.5 per cent of the deposit balance. Tauragė County again showed the smallest number of depositors ? 2.7 per cent of total depositors accounting for 1.4 per cent of the total deposit balance.