According to statistics released today (13 November) by the Monetary Authority of Macao, new approvals of residential mortgage loans (RMLs) rose month-on-month whereas those of commercial real estate loans (CRELs) decreased in September 2026. With regard to the outstanding balances, both RMLs and CRELs witnessed declines on a monthly basis.
New lending approved
In September 2026, new RMLs approved by Macao banks rose by 33.8% month-on-month to MOP1.15 billion. Among them, new RMLs to residents, representing 98.4% of the total, grew by 34.7% to MOP1.13 billion; the non-resident component decreased by 5.7% to MOP18.27 million. The monthly average of new RMLs approved between July and September 2026 was MOP957.84 million, down 9.7% from the previous period (June to August 2026).
New CRELs decreased by 86.5% to MOP463.74 million from a relatively high base in the previous month. Among them, new CRELs to residents, which occupied 99.3% of the total, fell by 86.6% to MOP460.65 million; new CRELs to non-residents marked MOP3.09 million. The monthly average of new CRELs approved between July and September 2026 was MOP2.31 billion, down 7.6% from the previous period (June to August 2026).
Outstanding balances
As at end-September 2026, the outstanding value of RMLs fell by 0.2% month-on-month and 4.2% year-on-year to MOP199.83 billion. Among them, the resident component made up 96.8% of the total. When compared with the previous month, outstanding RMLs to residents and non-residents fell by 0.2% and 0.5% respectively.
The outstanding value of CRELs was MOP130.91 billion, which fell by 0.3% from the preceding month and 7.6% from a year ago. Among them, the resident component made up 90.9% of the total. When compared with the previous month, outstanding CRELs to residents and non-residents dropped by 0.3% and 0.6% respectively.
Delinquency ratios
At end-September 2026, the delinquency ratio for RMLs stood at 3.7%, which remained stable from a month ago but dropped 0.1 percentage point over a year earlier. The ratio for CRELs was 5.6%, which remained unchanged from a month ago and a year earlier.
Residential mortgage loans refer to credit facilities provided by banks to individuals and enterprises that are collateralised by residential real estate in the MacaoSpecial 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 the Macao SAR. They include loans to construction companies and loans to finance property development and investment.