The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina reported a substantial increase in its foreign exchange reserves, reaching 16.29 billion BAM at the end of December, marking a 3.9 percent rise from the previous month. Over the year, the reserves saw an uptick of 224 million BAM or 1.4 percent.
Lending to various domestic sectors also witnessed growth, with total loans amounting to 23.55 billion BAM by year-end, up by 1.1 percent from November. Notable increases were observed across sectors, including households, private companies, and non-financial public enterprises, contributing to an annual loan growth rate of 6.7 percent, or 1.48 billion BAM.
The household sector led the annual credit expansion with a 7.4 percent increase, while private companies and non-financial public entities also showed significant lending growth. However, a slight reduction in credit growth was noted in government institutions, indicating a varied credit landscape across different sectors of the economy.