Bank lending to Eurozone households rose 3.1% year-on-year to €7.21 trillion in May 2026, up from 3.0% in April and exceeding market forecasts of 2.9%. Household credit demand grew at its fastest pace since February 2023, ahead of the European Central Bank’s first rate hike in three years, scheduled for June. Business lending increased 4.0% in May, the strongest growth in three years. Overall private sector credit, including households and non-financial corporations, expanded to 3.9%, the highest since March 2023, from 3.5% the previous month.