Finland: Blocked accounts of 193.4 thousand citizens

At the end of August this year, financial agency Fina reported that 193,400 Croatian citizens had blocked accounts, with total principal debt amounting to three billion euros. Additionally, 13,500 business entities had debts totaling 419.3 million euros. These figures were disclosed on Tuesday by Fina, according to which the number of blocked consumers has continued to decline. By the end of August, there were 193,396 “blocked citizens,” a decrease of 0.4 percent compared to the previous month and 1.8 percent less than a year ago. According to Fina, this shows a continuation of the trend of decreasing numbers of blocked consumers. The number of blocked consumers, based on Fina's data, was 26,500 fewer (12 percent) than in the same period three years ago and 8,000 fewer (4 percent) than in August 2024. The principal debt of blocked citizens at the end of August amounted to three billion euros, which is 0.8 percent less than in July and 4.3 percent higher than in August last year. When interest amounts of 1.2 billion euros are added to the principal, the total debt of citizens with blocked accounts reached 4.2 billion euros at the end of August. Debt owed by consumers to banks as creditors amounted to 630 million euros (without interest), while the total debt to all financial institutions was 710 million euros, according to Fina. The debt of business entities on a monthly basis decreased by 4.2 percent. Due to unmet payment obligations, the list of payment priorities recorded 13,488 business entities at the end of August, which is 388 business entities (2.8 percent) fewer than in July this year and 412 business entities (3.2 percent) more than in August 2025. The total principal debt of these entities amounted to 419.3 million euros, which is 18.4 million euros (4.2 percent) less than in July this year and 309.2 million euros (42.4 percent) less than in August last year. Interest amounted to 105.7 million euros, bringing the total debt of business entities at the end of August to 525.1 million euros. Of the 13,488 business entities that did not meet their due payment obligations, 5,736 are legal persons (42.5 percent), accounting for 277.2 million euros or 66.1 percent of the total amount of unpaid obligations. The remaining 7,752 are physical persons engaged in registered activities, whose debt amounts to 142.2 million euros. Compared to the situation in July this year, the number of legal persons that have not met their due payment obligations is lower by 5.5 percent, and the amount of unpaid obligations is lower by 6.9 percent. The total number of physical persons is lower by 0.7 percent, while the amount of their unpaid obligations is higher by 1.5 percent, according to Fina’s data. The data indicates a slight reduction in the number of individuals and businesses with blocked accounts, although the overall debt levels remain high. This suggests that while some progress is being made in reducing the number of financially distressed individuals and companies, the total outstanding debt continues to pose challenges for both the economy and individual households. The figures highlight the ongoing issues related to debt management and repayment among Croatian citizens and businesses. As of the end of August, the combined debt burden of both groups stands at over four billion euros, reflecting persistent economic pressures faced by many in the country. The detailed breakdown of debt distribution between legal and physical persons underscores the complexity of the issue, showing that a significant portion of the debt comes from corporate entities. However, the contribution from individual entrepreneurs and self-employed workers remains notable, indicating that small-scale business operations are also struggling under financial strain. The trends observed in the past few months suggest that efforts to reduce the number of individuals and businesses with blocked accounts are having some effect, albeit modest. Nevertheless, the overall level of debt remains a concern for policymakers and financial institutions alike, who continue to monitor developments closely. As of the latest data, the situation reflects a mix of gradual improvement in the number of affected parties and stagnation or even increases in the total debt levels. This dynamic will likely influence future policy decisions aimed at addressing the underlying causes of financial distress among Croatian citizens and businesses.