Nonperforming Loans (NPLs) in the banking system constituted 16.5 percent of total loans, owing primarily to the corporate sector. The Credit Bureau, maintained by the Association of Serbian Banks, also discloses dramatic increases in corporate and retail defaults over the past year. NPL...

This Technical Note assesses Corporate and Household Debt Restructuring in Serbia. As of June 2009, nonperforming loans (NPLs) in the banking system constituted 16.5 percent of total loans, owing primarily to the corporate sector. This marks a significant increase over 2008 and, despite a...

This report reviews the macroeconomic determinants of the rapid growth in the Spanish housing market, including various policy elements. It examines the vulnerabilities of households' finances as a result of the rapid growth of housing prices and mortgage debt. It also describes the Spanish...

This technical note assesses the vulnerabilities of household and corporate sector balance sheets and quantifies the potential impacts from macroeconomic shocks using sensitivity and contingent claims analyses. The note analyzes the risks to the Spanish financial stability arising from household...

Since its independence in 2006, Montenegro has experienced an economic and financial roller coaster ride. The baseline is predicated on continued improvements in cost competitiveness and productivity-raising foreign direct investment (FDI). Avoiding a relapse into recession will thus require...

Mounting funding pressures has tipped Portugal into an acute economic crisis in 2011. The roots of the crisis could be traced to Portugal’s failure to adapt to the rigors of monetary union. With economic institutions, policies, and incentives ill-adapted to the opportunities,...

The Kyrgyz Republic is emerging from a deep political crisis. In April 2010, a popular uprising toppled the previous regime and internal ethnic conflict in June 2010 exacerbated the already difficult political situation. The crisis has adversely affected economic activity and near-term growth...

The 2012 Article IV Report on Ireland’s economy under the Extended Arrangement analyzes the banking crisis and Irish authorities’ steadfast efforts to restore stability. Public debt has been high, and the banking system has not served the financial needs of both households and the...