According to the July 2025 bank lending survey (BLS), euro area banks reported broadly unchanged credit standards – banks’ internal guidelines or loan approval criteria – for loans or credit lines to enterprises in the second quarter of 2025 (net percentage of banks of -1%; Chart 1). Banks also reported a slight net tightening of credit standards for loans to households for house purchase (net percentage of 2%) and a more pronounced net tightening for consumer credit and other lending to households (net percentage of 11%). For credit standards on loans to firms, the net percentage was smaller than banks had expected in the previous survey (a net tightening of 5%) and follows the small net tightening in credit standards seen in the first quarter (3%). Perceived risks related to the economic outlook continued to contribute to a tightening of credit standards, whereas competition had an easing impact. For the most part, banks reported no specific additional tightening impact on their credit standards related to geopolitical uncertainty and trade tensions, although they intensified their monitoring of the most exposed sectors and firms. For loans to households for house purchase, the net tightening followed the easing of credit standards seen in the first quarter (-7%) but was lower than banks anticipated (7%). For both housing loans and consumer credit, changes in risk perceptions and the risk tolerance of banks were the main drivers of the net tightening of credit standards. For the third quarter of 2025, banks expect credit standards to remain unchanged for firms (0%), ease slightly for housing loans (-3%) and tighten further for consumer credit (4%).