How big is the German mortgage and consumer credit market?
German households owed 1,634,531 million EUR in mortgage loans and 203,846 million EUR in consumer credit in 2025 (ECB BSI, reliability C). Annual new business was 240,858 million EUR for mortgages and 90,452 million EUR for consumer credit (ECB MIR, reliability C), and both include renegotiations and repricing. Mortgage intermediation needs a GewO §34i registration; 58,014 such records existed in Q3 2026 (DIHK, reliability A).
Updated . Figures keep their period, source and reliability grade.
Key figures
| Metric | Value | Period | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage loan stock | 1,634,531 million EUR | 2025 | ECB BSI | C |
| Mortgage new business, annual | 240,858 million EUR, includes renegotiations and repricing | 2025 | ECB MIR | C |
| Consumer credit stock | 203,846 million EUR | 2025 | ECB BSI | C |
| Consumer credit new business, annual | 90,452 million EUR, includes renegotiations and repricing | 2025 | ECB MIR | C |
| Mortgage credit intermediary registrations (GewO §34i) | 58,014 registrations | Q3 2026, checked 27 August 2026 | DIHK Vermittlerregister statistics | A |
| Consumer finance arranged online | 41 percent | 2024 to 2025 | Bankenfachverband/YouGov | C |
| Household financial liabilities | 2,176,579 million EUR | 2025 | Eurostat nasa_10_f_bs | A |
The answer
German households owed 1,634,531 million EUR in mortgage loans and 203,846 million EUR in consumer credit in 2025 (ECB BSI, reliability C). Annual new business ran at 240,858 million EUR for mortgages and 90,452 million EUR for consumer credit, and both figures include renegotiations and repricing. Mortgage intermediation needs a GewO §34i registration, and 58,014 such records existed in Q3 2026 (DIHK, reliability A).
The numbers
Every figure behind this answer sits in the key figures table above, with its value, unit, period, source and reliability grade: A official statistics, B reconciled from published sources, C modelled estimate, D indicative.
How the number is built
The ECB balance sheet items (BSI) give the stock of loans on bank balance sheets. The interest rate statistics (MIR) give new business volumes. New business in MIR includes renegotiated and repriced loans, so it overstates fresh lending. That is the main reason the block carries reliability C.
The §34i count is a register row count. Banks lend under their own licence and do not need a §34i record, so the 58,014 records cover intermediaries, not bank staff. Other credit intermediation falls under GewO §34c, for which the package publishes no separate count.
The online share for consumer finance comes from a survey. It describes where the customer completed the process, not who originated the lead.
What it means for distribution
Mortgage intermediation is a register-visible channel with 58,014 records. Consumer credit is not: it runs through banks and online channels, with 41 percent of consumer finance arranged online.
Regional banks hold the branch network. Savings banks and cooperative banks together account for 77.7 percent of bank branches (40.5 plus 37.2). A mortgage broker or fintech competes with that footprint on the ground, not only on rate.
Regulation is moving. The German implementation of the second Consumer Credit Directive applies from November 2026 (reliability B). The Mortgage Credit Directive continues to frame §34i.
Go deeper
- How is financial advice regulated in Germany?: what §34i and §34c cover.
- How big is the German insurance market?: the other side of the household balance sheet.
- Germany market intelligence: the package these numbers come from.
- Company market brief use case: a structured brief on a lender or broker.
Related questions
- Why does the credit block carry reliability C?
- ECB MIR new business includes renegotiated and repriced loans, so it overstates fresh lending. The stock figures are balance sheet items and more stable, but the block is graded as a whole.
- Do bank mortgage advisers appear in the §34i register?
- No. Banks lend under their own licence. The 58,014 records cover intermediaries, not bank staff, and bank advisers are estimated separately in the adviser count.
- What changes in credit regulation are coming?
- The German implementation of the second Consumer Credit Directive applies from November 2026 (reliability B). The Mortgage Credit Directive continues to frame §34i.
Methodology and limitations
ECB balance sheet items give the stock of loans on bank balance sheets and the interest rate statistics give new business volumes, which include renegotiations and repricing. The §34i count is a register row count for intermediaries; banks lend under their own licence and do not appear. The online share comes from a survey and describes where the customer completed the process.
Primary sources
Explore Germany market intelligence