According to statistics released today (15 May) by the Monetary Authority of Macao, new approvals of residential mortgage loans (RMLs) increased whereas those of commercial real estate loans (CRELs) dropped month-on-month in March 2026. With regard to the outstanding balances, both RMLs and CRELs witnessed declines on a monthly basis.
New lending approved
In March 2026, new RMLs approved by Macao banks rose by 65.3% month-on-month to MOP1.09 billion. Among them, new RMLs to residents, representing 99.7% of the total, grew by 65.1% to MOP1.09 billion; the non-resident component increased to MOP3.39 million. The monthly average of new RMLs approved between January and March 2026 was MOP1.11 billion, up 6.2% from the previous period (December 2025 to February 2026).
New CRELs decreased by 23.3% month-on-month to MOP375.35 million. Among them, new CRELs to residents, which occupied 78.6% of the total, fell by 39.7% to MOP295.03 million; new CRELs to non-residents rose to MOP80.33 million. The monthly average of new CRELs approved between January and March 2026 was MOP475.22 million, down 7.3% from the previous period (December 2025 to February 2026).
Outstanding balances
As at end-March 2026, the outstanding value of RMLs fell by 0.4% month-on-month or 5.4% year-on-year to MOP203.97 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 0.4% and 1.4% respectively.
The outstanding value of CRELs was MOP134.72 billion, which fell by 1.1% from the preceding month or 9.2% from a year ago. Among them, the resident component made up 91.3% of the total. When compared with the previous month, outstanding CRELs to residents and non-residents dropped by 1.2% and 0.1% respectively.
Delinquency ratios
At end-March 2026, the delinquency ratio for RMLs was 3.5%, down 0.1 percentage point from a month ago but kept stable from a year earlier. The ratio for CRELs was 5.2%, down 0.4 percentage points from a month ago or 0.3 percentage points from end-March 2025.
Residential mortgage loans refer to credit facilities provided by banks to individuals and enterprises that are collateralised by residential real estate in the 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 the 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
