Big Six Banks' Home Mortgage Balances Fall to RMB 24 Trillion by Mid-2026

As of the end of the first half of 2026, the combined domestic individual housing loan balances of the six largest state-owned banks—Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, and Postal Savings Bank of China—totaled approximately RMB 24 trillion, a decrease of about RMB 500 billion from the end of 2025. Among the banks, China Construction Bank and ICBC recorded the largest declines, with their balances falling below RMB 6 trillion each. The other four banks also saw reductions from their year-end 2025 levels.

Nationwide, data previously released by the People's Bank of China showed that at the end of the second quarter of 2026, RMB-denominated real estate loans stood at RMB 50.74 trillion, down 4.9% year on year, with a decrease of RMB 1.23 trillion in the first half. Within this, development loans for real estate totaled RMB 12.65 trillion, down 8.5% year on year, falling by RMB 540.2 billion in the first half. Personal housing loans amounted to RMB 36.29 trillion, down 3.8% year on year, with a reduction of RMB 716.3 billion in the first half.

Recently, multiple government departments have issued real estate-related policies covering credit systems, commercial housing sales rules, and home purchase support. In the area of individual mortgages, the maximum term for personal housing loans has been extended from 30 years to 40 years, aiming to reduce monthly repayment pressure on homebuyers. Banks are implementing the policy at different paces, with some already opening application channels for existing borrowers to extend their loan terms.