The ten largest banks in the Norwegian credit market participate in the survey: DNB, Nordea, Danske Bank, Handelsbanken, Sparebank 1 SR-bank, Sparebank 1 Østlandet, Sparebank 1 SMN, Sparebank 1 Nord-Norge, Sparebanken Sør and Sparebanken Vest. The survey provides information on changes in credit demand, banks’ credit standards, including loan conditions and prices, and the factors influencing banks’ credit standards and prices. Banks fill out the survey questionnaires immediately after the end of a quarter. The survey was conducted for the first time after the end of 2007 Q4.

The survey distinguishes between lending to households and lending to non-financial enterprises. In each question, banks are asked to compare developments in the past quarter with the quarter that has just come to an end. They are also asked to compare the quarter that has just come to an end with their expectations with regard to the next quarter. The questions are answered by ticking one of five responses: up a lot, up a little, same, down a little, down a lot. The responses have been converted into a numerical scale ranging from +2 to -2- in the charts in this report. For example, if all the banks in the sample answer that credit demand is up a little, the resulting figure for credit demand will be 1. If all the banks report that credit demand is up a lot, the figure will be 2. Banks’ responses are aggregated and weighted by loan volumes. The weights are updated every other year.

Norges Bank’s Staff Memo 17/2016 «Bankenes etterspørsel og kredittpraksis siden 2008: Resultater fra Norges Banks utlånsundersøkelse» provides an account of the Bank’s experience of the lending survey.