Secured Credit Hits GH¢31.5bn in Q2 2026 as Lending Value Jumps 73.4%

The value of secured credit registered by banks and other lenders in Ghana rose sharply in the second quarter of 2026, reaching GH¢31.5 billion, according to the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

The figure represents a 73.4% increase compared with the GH¢18.2 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.

The latest data was contained in the Bank of Ghana’s Second Quarter Brief on the 2026 Collateral Registry, which tracks credit secured against assets pledged by borrowers.

Banks account for the largest share

Banks remained the biggest contributors to secured lending during the period, registering GH¢19.9 billion in secured credit.

That represents 63.1% of the total value recorded in the quarter and marks a 36.6% increase from the GH¢14.5 billion registered by banks in the second quarter of 2025.

Other lenders accounted for another GH¢8.3 billion, representing 26.3% of the total secured credit registered during the period.

Overall, the value of secured credit increased by 57.5% between the first and second quarters of 2026.

Banks recorded a 21.5% increase over the period, while Rural and Community Banks saw their secured credit rise by 12.2%.

However, Savings and Loans companies, Microfinance Institutions and Micro Credit Institutions recorded declines.

Foreign banks continue to dominate

Within the banking sector, foreign-controlled banks accounted for the largest portion of secured credit.

They registered GH¢14.1 billion, representing 71.1% of the GH¢19.9 billion secured credit recorded by banks during the quarter.

The figure was 19.3% higher than the GH¢11.8 billion registered by foreign-controlled banks in the second quarter of 2025.

Indigenous banks, although accounting for a smaller share, recorded much faster growth.

Their secured credit increased to GH¢5.7 billion, up from GH¢2.7 billion a year earlier.

That represents a 112.4% year-on-year increase.

Value rises despite fewer registrations

The strong growth in the value of secured lending comes despite a significant fall in the number of security-interest registrations during the quarter.

Registrations dropped by 32.2%, from 135,721 in the second quarter of 2025 to 92,033 in the same period of 2026.

The decline was largely driven by Savings and Loans companies, whose registrations fell by 42.4%, from 119,649 to 68,871.

This means that while fewer secured transactions were recorded, the total amount of credit involved was considerably higher.

More lenders checking collateral

The Bank of Ghana also reported an increase in searches on the Collateral Registry Application System (CRAS), the platform used by lenders to check whether assets offered as collateral have already been pledged elsewhere.

Searches increased by 13.9% year-on-year and 8.7% compared with the previous quarter, reaching 19,518.

The central bank linked the increase partly to its sensitisation and training programmes aimed at improving awareness and use of the Collateral Registry.

The registry is designed to help lenders conduct better due diligence before granting loans by providing information on existing claims over borrowers' assets.

What the figures mean for lending

The latest figures show a notable shift in Ghana’s secured lending market, with the value of credit rising significantly even as the number of registered transactions declines.

The trend could indicate that larger amounts of credit are being secured against assets through fewer transactions, although the Bank of Ghana's report does not provide a specific explanation for the change.

The continued dominance of banks, particularly foreign-controlled institutions, also highlights their significant role in secured lending, while the strong growth recorded by indigenous banks points to an expanding contribution from local financial institutions.

The data provides a snapshot of lending activity in the second quarter as the financial sector continues to adjust to changing credit conditions and demand for financing in the Ghanaian economy.