OREANDA-NEWS   In February 2026, the average amount of consumer credit in Russia increased by a quarter (plus 21.5 percent) in monthly terms. The fact that citizens rushed to borrow, with reference to data from the National Bureau of Credit Histories (NBKI), reports TASS.

The average loan amount increased to 167.2 thousand rubles. Compared to January, it grew by 10.7 percent.

The largest loans per month were issued in Moscow (297.8 thousand rubles), St. Petersburg (252.4 thousand rubles), the Moscow Region (228.5 thousand rubles), as well as in the Republic of Tatarstan (197.1 thousand rubles) and the Tyumen Region (with Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District) (192.4 thousand rubles).

The average bill fell the most in Altai (minus 37 percent) and Khabarovsk (minus 32.7 percent) territories, as well as Leningrad (minus 30.5 percent), Omsk (minus 29.4 percent) and Chelyabinsk (minus 28.8 percent) regions.

"In the last six months, the average size of consumer loans has stabilized at the level of 150-180 thousand rubles, while the demand for consumer loans is at a fairly low level, and the share of applications for them from the highest—quality borrowers (according to the Personal Credit Rating scale - more than 750 points) is decreasing," explained Alexey Volkov, Marketing Director of NBKI.

Alexey Kuzmin, Chairman of the Board of JSC National Savings Bank, warned that a new credit trap is intensifying in the country: microfinance organizations are changing their approach, moving from short-term loans "before payday" to providing funds for a longer period. MFIs offer products that resemble bank loans, with relatively low monthly payments and lenient terms, but their cost remains extremely high.