The second quarter of 2020 saw 56.25% of the German banks taking part in the Bank Lending Survey (BLS) report brisker demand for loans to enterprises. Never since the BLS was launched in 2003 have so many respondents reported an increase in demand for loans of this type.

Der tagesdurchschnittliche Umsatz der Geldaufnahme im unbesicherten Segment verringerte sich von 145 Mrd € in der dritten Mindestreserve-Erfüllungsperiode 2020 auf 136 Mrd € in der vierten Mindestreserve-Erfüllungsperiode.

The Bundesbank’s TARGET2 balance has been growing again significantly since March. It exceeded the €1 trillion mark in July. This renewed increase over the past few months can largely be put down to the expansion of the Eurosystem’s purchase programmes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, individuals in Germany stored an average of €1,364 in cash at home or in a safe deposit box, a study from the Bundesbank’s latest Monthly Report reveals. Research shows that this is mainly the result of financial and practical reasons such as the low interest rate level or the usability of cash as a means of payment. The study did not provide any evidence of tax avoidance as a motive for storing cash.