Private sector credito in Spain: from boom to brust

Abstract

The deep crisis in the Spanish economy is characterized by the existence of a sharp contraction in private sector credit. This credit behavior is not surprising, since it is known that there is a strong positive correlation between economic cycles and credit cycles, as has been well documented in the literature. In order to understand the strong credit restrictions which Spanish non-financial firms and households are facing at present, this article analyses the last credit cycle that has occurred in Spanish economy. It is defined its length and intensity and compared with other credit cycles in past decades. After studying the behavior of credit in the expansion phase of the cycle and the major imbalances accumulated in it, we focus the analysis in the recession phase, assessing the supply and demand factors that are affecting credit crunch. A special emphasis is given to the role that social banking institutions have had in this cyclical process of credit.