According to statistics released today (15 July) 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 May 2025.  With regard to the outstanding balances, both RMLs and CRELs witnessed declines on a monthly basis.

New lending approved

In May 2025, new RMLs approved by Macao banks rose by 7.2% month-on-month to MOP946.52 million. Among them, new RMLs to residents, representing 97.8% of the total, grew by 13.1% to MOP925.89 million; the non-resident component decreased to MOP20.63 million. The monthly average of new RMLs approved between March and May 2025 was MOP868.75 million, up 9.3% from the previous period (February to April 2025). 

New CRELs dropped by 62.1% month-on-month to MOP573.59 million, all of which were resident loans. The monthly average of new CRELs approved between March and May 2025 was MOP1.34 billion, down 19.1% from the previous period (February to April 2025). 

Outstanding balances

As at end-May 2025, the outstanding value of RMLs was MOP213.58 billion, which fell by 0.4% from the preceding month or 5.4% from a year ago. 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 1.1% respectively.

The outstanding value of CRELs fell by 1.0% month-on-month or 5.9% year-on-year to MOP146.64 billion.  Among them, the resident component made up 91.8% of the total. When compared with the previous month, outstanding CRELs to residents dropped by 1.1% whereas those to non-residents held steady.

Delinquency ratios

At end-May 2025, the delinquency ratio for RMLs stood at 3.6%, which remained unchanged from a month ago but up 0.1 percentage point over a year earlier.  The ratio for CRELs was 5.4%, down 0.1 percentage point from a month ago but up 0.8 percentage points from end-May 2024.

Residential mortgage loans refer to credit facilities provided by banks to individuals and enterprises that are collateralised by residential real estate in Macao Special Administrative Region (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 Macao SAR. They include loans to construction companies and loans to finance property development and investment.