BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The volume of
unused credit card funds in Azerbaijan has decreased by 172 million
manat ($101.17 million) following the introduction of a cap
limiting credit card limits to five times a borrower's net
income.
This was stated in the Financial Stability Report published by
the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA).
According to the report, the regulatory measure was introduced
to prevent excessive borrowing by limiting a borrower's credit card
limit to a maximum of five times their net income after taxes.
As a result, compared with the same period last year, the
utilized portion of credit card limits decreased by 179 million
manat ($105.29 million), while the unused portion fell by 172
million manat ($101.17 million).
Meanwhile, the number of credit cards in Azerbaijan declined by
3.5%, or 74,000, over the past year.
The CBA noted that the decline in the number of credit cards and
unused credit limits helps prevent excessive household borrowing
and promotes responsible lending.
The report emphasized that the Central Bank continues to monitor
consumer lending trends and household debt levels, while taking
further steps to improve the regulatory framework in this area.
In the first half of 2026, Azerbaijan's banking sector loan
portfolio increased by 11.8% year-on-year to 31.8 billion manat
($18.7 billion). Annual growth in consumer lending stood at
11.5%.
