Citizens’ Deposits Amount To KM 11.83 Billion

Sarajevo, 31 October 2018

The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH) congratulates to all citizens and commercial banks the 31^st October - World Saving Day, which Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens mark, this year too, with the largest amount of savings deposits, recorded so far.

According to the CBBH data, at the end of September 2018, total household deposits with commercial banks in BH amounted KM 11.83 billion, the highest level recorded so far. Deposits of households have the largest share in total deposits with commercial banks, being 55.4%, and therefore represent an important basis for financing and functioning of banks.

Observing household deposits by maturity, term deposits and savings deposits in September 2018, amount to KM 5.45 billion or 46.1% of total household deposits, out of which short-term deposits amount to KM 500 million, and long-term KM 4.95 billion. Transaction accounts and demand deposits make 6.38 billion KM or 53.9% of total household deposits.

Regarding the currency structure, household deposits in domestic currency amounted to KM 5.54 billion or 46.8% of the share, which is significantly higher than 6 years ago when the share of deposits in domestic currency was 36.4%. Deposits in euro amounted to KM 5,70 billion or 48.2%, while deposits in other foreign currencies amounted to KM 591 million or 5%.

The households in BH continuously increase their deposits, thus, compared with the situation at the end of September last year, they increased by as much as KM 808.9 million or 7.8%. However, there are significant differences in the pace of growth depending on the type of deposit. The fastest growing are the transaction deposits, which grew by 18.0% (or KM 489 million), then demand deposits increasing by 14.4% (i.e. KM 311 million). Time and saving deposits, which reflect savings, slightly increased and grew at an annual rate of 0.3% (KM 18 million).

The slower growth of the households term and savings deposits is also affected by the continuous decline in interest rates in recent years. Interest rates on household deposits in the euro currency recorded a continuous decline over the past five years, with lower oscillations. Thus, for time deposits of households in euro with agreed maturity from 1 year to 2 years, they were reduced from 3.279%, the average rate for 2013, down to 1.188% in the first nine months of 2018. At the same time, for term deposits with an agreed maturity over 2 years, they were somewhat higher, but with the same downward trend of 3.945% in 2013 to 1.462% in the first nine months of 2018. For the same period, the interest rates on household term and savings deposits in KM with agreed maturity from 1 year to 2 years decreased from 3.262% to 1.276%, and for term deposits over 2 years in the range from 3.661% to 1.371%.

A stable domestic banking sector, with a reliable deposit insurance system, provides a guarantee to households to keep their financial assets in accounts in banks, through which they conduct current transactions or save for later times. Based on this confidence and the citizens entrusted funds, banks are able to provide financing and contribute to more efficient functioning and growth of the economy, and to assist in reducing informal transactions.