According to statistics released today (13 March) by the Monetary Authority of Macao, new approvals of residential mortgage loans (RMLs) and commercial real estate loans (CRELs) both increased month-on-month in January 2026. With regard to the outstanding balances, both RMLs and CRELs witnessed declines on a monthly basis.
New lending approved
In January 2026, new RMLs approved by Macao banks rose by 76.7% month-on-month to MOP1.59 billion. Among them, new RMLs to residents, representing 98.7% of the total, grew by 74.4% to MOP1.57 billion; the non-resident component increased to MOP20.38 million. The monthly average of new RMLs approved between November 2025 and January 2026 was MOP1.25 billion, up 12.3% from the previous period (October to December 2025).
New CRELs increased by 15.1% to MOP560.78 million from the preceding month, all of which were resident loans. The monthly average of new CRELs approved between November 2025 and January 2026 was MOP484.71 million, down 16.4% from the previous period (October to December 2025).
Outstanding balances
As at end-January 2026, the outstanding value of RMLs fell by 0.2% month-on-month or 5.3% year-on-year to MOP206.06 billion. Among them, the resident component made up 96.7% of the total. When compared with the previous month, outstanding RMLs to residents and non-residents dropped by 0.2% and 0.5% respectively.
The outstanding value of CRELs was MOP137.45 billion, which fell by 0.5% from the preceding month or 8.5% from a year ago. Among them, the resident component made up 91.4% of the total. When compared with the previous month, outstanding CRELs to residents and non-residents dropped by 0.5% and 0.8% respectively.
Delinquency ratios
At end-January 2026, the delinquency ratio for RMLs was 3.6%, which kept stable from a month ago but up 0.1 percentage point over a year earlier. The ratio for CRELs was 5.4%, which remained unchanged from the previous month and from end-January 2025.
Residential mortgage loans refer to credit facilities provided by banks to individuals and enterprises that are collateralised by residential real estate in Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR). They include loans to finance purchase of residential properties and other purposes (such as refinancing loans, working capital and trade financing). Commercial real estate loans refer to credit facilities provided by banks to individuals and enterprises that are collateralised by commercial real estate in Macao SAR. They include loans to construction companies and loans to finance property development and investment.
Detailed figures are available on:
https://www.amcm.gov.mo/en/research-statistics/statistics-page/official-statistics-summary-page