In the North West, as at 31 December 2016, it is Liguria that has the highest share of non-performing loans on total bank loans: 19,6%, compared to 10,4% in Valle d'Aosta, 14,3% from Piedmont and the average Italian 17,6%. In Liguria, therefore, of every thousand euros lent by credit institutions, 196 euros are "non-performing loans" (Npl), i.e. exposures towards subjects in a state of insolvency or in comparable situations ("bad loans"), past due exposures and/or or overdue and probable defaults.
For banks, Ligurian companies represent the worst debtors in the North West, given that as much as 30,1% of the credits they obtained have become NPLs, therefore at the risk of not being honored in whole or in part. This share is almost double that of the enterprises of Valle d'Aosta (15,8%) and is higher than both that of Piedmont (21,8%) and the national average (29,2%). Liguria's negative primacy also applies to small businesses, which, in fact, show Npl equal to 25,1% of the bank loans obtained, against 23,3% in Piedmont and 16,5% in Valle d'Aosta.
On the other hand, it is in Piedmont that the less reliable consumer families are found for credit institutions. Here, in fact, the rate of non-performing loans entrusted to households was 8,5%, while it is 8,3% in Liguria and 5,4% in Valle d'Aosta (10,4% the national average ). In Liguria, at the end of 2016, bank loans to customers amounted to a total of 35,788 billion, of which 21,725 in the province of Genoa, 6,114 in the province of Savona, 4,523 in the province of La Spezia and 3,427 in the province of Imperia.
As specified by the Bank of Italy, in Liguria, at the end of 2016, banks boasted loans of 19,061 billion to businesses (in particular, 3,8 billion to small companies), 13,753 billion to consumer households and 1,719 billion to Public administrations. At the same date, bad debts amounted to 3,810 billion.
In Piedmont, as at 31 December 2016, bank loans to customers amounted to 112,825 billion, of which 56,470 to businesses (12,826 to small companies), 39,598 to consumer households and 9,551 to public administrations. As regards the individual provinces, Turin showed total loans of 61,538 billion, Cuneo for 16,427, Alessandria for 9,911, Novara for 8,756, Asti for 4,827, Biella for 4,606, Vercelli for 3,681 and Verbania for 3,079. In total, bad debts amounted to 11,734 billion.
Finally, Valle d'Aosta: the sum of bank loans at the end of 2016 was 2,831 billion, of which 1,507 to businesses (427 million to small businesses), 870 million to consumer households and 99 million to public administrations. Total non-performing loans: 193 million.
From the blog Northwest by Rodolfo Bosio.
