Mortgage and commercial loan approvals surge in January

New approvals for residential mortgage loans (RMLs) and commercial real estate loans (CRELs) in Macau increased in January 2025, according to the Monetary Authority of Macao. RML approvals rose 31.4% from the previous month to MOP1.33 billion, with loans to residents making up 97.3% of the total. Meanwhile, CRELs saw a sharp 113.2% jump, reaching MOP1.46 billion, driven primarily by resident borrowers. Despite new lending growth, the outstanding balance of RMLs declined 0.2% month-on-month to MOP217.63 billion, while CRELs increased slightly by 0.2% to MOP150.19 billion.