The Paraguayan financial system recorded an expansive credit trajectory between January 2025 and May 2026, with total operations jumping from 5,184,877 to 7,045,616 — an absolute increase of 1,860,739 operations and a relative growth of 35.9%, according to data from the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP).
In the year-over-year comparison with May 2025, total operations rose from 5,732,736 to 7,045,616, an increase of 1,312,880 additional operations, equivalent to a 22.9% growth.
Loans — which include mortgage financing, consumer loans, and other credit extended by banks and financial institutions — were the main driver of the expansion. In May 2026, they reached 3,885,797 operations, up from 2,961,912 in the same month of 2025, a growth of 31.2%. Loans accounted for 55.2% of the total in May 2026, up from 51.7% recorded in May 2025, showing that credit growth was concentrated in traditional financing products.
Letters of credit also posted a significant increase, albeit with relatively lower momentum. In May 2026, they totaled 2,562,578, up from 2,318,265 in 2025 — an absolute increase of 244,313 letters and a variation of 10.5%. Despite the growth, their share of the total fell from 40.4% to 36.4%, due to the faster pace of expansion in loans and overdraft facilities.
Overdraft facilities saw one of the largest relative increases. Operations rose from 416,913 in May 2025 to 561,533 this year, an increase of 144,620 operations, equivalent to 34.7%. However, the number of overdraft lines fell from 239,541 to 230,705 — a reduction of 8,836 lines, or -3.7% — indicating a higher volume of operations with fewer available or active lines.
Document discounting was the segment with the smallest share of the total. In May 2026, it recorded 35,708 operations, compared to 35,646 the previous year, an absolute increase of just 62 operations, equivalent to 0.2%, maintaining a modest 0.5% share of the total.
In cumulative terms, the monthly average of operations between January and May 2026 was 6,900,310, compared to 5,443,741 in the same period of 2025 — a difference of 1,456,569 operations per month on average, and a variation of 26.8%. The trend confirms a general expansion of formal credit in a context where financing products continue to play a key role for households, businesses, and consumers.