Nearly 60% of Italians have at least one outstanding loan

Italians are increasingly grappling with instalments at the end of the month, whether for a home loan or to buy a car. In fact, in the first six months of the year, the number of Italians with at least one instalment credit agreement in place widened further, amounting to 59.6% of the adult population (+13.1% compared to 2024). This dynamic reflects the upturn in consumption and purchases supported by loans covering small amounts. Also not to be overlooked is the interest rate effect that makes home mortgages more attractive once again. At a per capita level, in the first half of 2025 the average instalment repaid each month was 278 euro (stable compared to a year ago), while the residual exposure - understood as the sum of the per capita amounts still to be repaid in the future to pay off existing contracts - was 31,637 euro (down by -10%). This is what emerges from an analysis of the data available in Eurisc, the credit information system managed by Crif.

Looking at mortgages in particular, the analysis highlights the substantial stability of the average instalment, which is just under EUR 600, while residual exposure is falling, at just over EUR 97,000. With regard to special purpose loans, the monthly instalment rose slightly to € 135, while residual exposure fell (-7.5%), which remained low at just over € 5,500. The average instalment on personal loans rose slightly (+1.5%), to EUR 254, with residual exposure at around EUR 16,200, down by -7.9%.

"In this first part of the year, the proportion of individuals resorting to credit is up by +13.1%, probably due to the gradual fall in rates that has made it more accessible and convenient for both households and businesses, but with a focus on residual exposure, which in fact is down by -10%", emphasises Beatrice Rubini, director of Crif's Mister Credit line. "Overall, the incidence of mortgages is now 23.6% of total active financing, while the share of personal loans comes to 29.3%. The most widespread form of financing is to buy goods and services (cars, motorbikes, electronics and household appliances, furniture, travel) with a share of 47.1% of the total". As the expert explains, if we want to make a ranking of the types of goods and services for which credit is most used, in first place we find expenses related to the home (34.9%), followed by means of transport (30.2%) and electronics and household appliances (20%)

The region where people resort to credit most often is Tuscany (67.8%), followed by Valle D'Aosta (67.2%) and Lazio (66.4%). At the opposite extreme of the ranking is Trentino-Alto Adige, where only 32.5% of the population has at least one active credit report, preceded by Basilicata (with 47.8%) and Campania (with 52.7%).But beware, the ranking changes if we look at the amount of the monthly instalment. In the first half of 2025, the regions where citizens make the highest monthly instalment are Trentino-Alto Adige, with an average of EUR 405, Lombardy (EUR 317) and Veneto (EUR 305). Emilia-Romagna and Friuli-Venezia Giulia follow, with 299 and 295 euros respectively. The reason? These are the regions where there is a higher incidence of mortgages, which have a higher amount to be repaid than the other technical forms considered, without taking into account the value of the property, which may be higher than average.