Published on: 2026-04-29
Source: Central Bank of Russia – Central Bank of Russia –
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The volume of loans increased by 15% compared to 2024, it is noted inmaterial of the Bank of Russia. More than half of this amount is accounted for by companies in the trade sector, mainly sellers on major online platforms.
Commercial microfinance organizations (MFOs) have become the growth drivers. Over the year, they issued 68% more than state-owned companies. This happened thanks to the developed digital infrastructure, the application of scoring models, and online platforms for assessing borrowers, the short-term nature of loans, and high turnover.
However, the main share of the microloan business portfolio is still accounted for by state microfinance organizations that provide preferential lending under programs supporting small and medium-sized businesses. And this portfolio exceeded the commercial segment of microfinance organizations by more than twice.
Thanks to a more conservative strategy for assessing borrowers at state MFIs, the level of problematic debts remained low. The share of debt overdue by more than 90 days in the segment of commercial loans was almost three times higher than at state MFIs, amounting to 11.6%. The share of “young” (up to 90 days) overdue debt grew over the year from 5.2% to 8.1%.
The main volume of overdue debt was formed by industries with a high dependence on the continuity of cash flow and the quality of working capital management: trade, construction, transportation, logistics, and related areas.
Since October of last year, it has come into forcelaw, under which small and medium-sized entrepreneurs can apply to commercial microfinance organizations for credit holidays. In 2025, about a third of microfinance organizations provided credit holidays under their programs and within the framework of the law.
Significant importance for the further development of the MFO borrower business segment will be held by changes inlaw, under which the microloan limit for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs has been increased from 5 million to 15 million rubles.
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