{"id":18243,"date":"2026-10-23T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T16:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=18243"},"modified":"2026-10-22T15:59:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T20:59:22","slug":"incredible-panama-consumer-debt-hits-42-7-billion-as-credit-card-delinquencies-climb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/business-economy\/incredible-panama-consumer-debt-hits-42-7-billion-as-credit-card-delinquencies-climb\/","title":{"rendered":"Incredible: Panama Consumer Debt Hits $42.7 Billion as Credit Card Delinquencies Climb"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Total outstanding credit in Panama reached $42,762 million as of September 2026, according to data released by APC Experian, with consumer loans Panama<\/a> now representing one of the fastest-growing segments of the country’s financial system<\/a>. The figure covers 2,570,117 clients, of which 2,481,899 are individual borrowers, both Panamanian and foreign nationals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report highlights a widening gap in payment performance across different lending institutions. While traditional banks have gradually improved their portfolio quality, finance companies continue to struggle with a delinquency rate that has remained stuck at 17 percent for two consecutive years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A person using their credit card to make a purchase online \/ shopping online By \u00a9 European Union, 2026, CC BY 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=126939745<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Consumer Loans Panama Drive New Credit Originations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

August 2026 saw 66,510 new credit originations across banks, cooperatives, and finance companies. Banks accounted for 37,191 of these new loans, with credit cards leading the charge at 16,175 new accounts and personal loans following closely with 15,988 new obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finance companies formalized 24,813 new loans during the same month, driven primarily by fast-placement personal credit products. The sustained appetite for consumer borrowing underscores Panamanians’ reliance on credit to manage household expenses, even as delinquency indicators vary sharply by institution type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giovanna Cardellicchio, general manager of APC Experian, noted that the data shows growth across major banking portfolios, with variations in both expansion rates and payment behavior depending on the product type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bank
The banking sector holds $37,918 million in total credit, with mortgages representing the largest share at $21,610 million and a year-over-year growth of 1.74 percent . Bank sector Panama. By SP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bank Portfolios Show Stability While Finance Companies Lag<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The banking sector holds $37,918 million in total credit, with mortgages representing the largest share at $21,610 million and a year-over-year growth of 1.74 percent. Personal loans in the banking system total $8,826 million, up 4.03 percent from the previous year, with a delinquency rate of 3.26 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Credit cards within the banking sector present the highest formal-sector delinquency at 8.75 percent on a balance of $3,083 million. The overall bank delinquency rate for obligations more than 61 days past due stood at 4.80 percent in September 2026, a notable improvement from the 5.67 percent peak recorded in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooperatives show a more encouraging trajectory, with delinquency falling from 11.13 percent in 2021 to 7.42 percent in 2026 on a portfolio of $1,695 million. Finance companies, But, remain an outlier with $1,964 million in loans and a 17 percent non-payment rate affecting more than 715,000 active obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Una publicaci\u00f3n compartida por La Estrella de Panam\u00e1 (@laestrellaonline)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n