The report provides evidence on changes in the financial situation, financing needs and access to financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the euro area in the six months from October 2015 to March 2016, as well as comparing the situation of SMEs with that of large enterprises.
Euro area SMEs considered access to finance the least important problem that they faced (10%, down from 11% in the previous round), although results differ across countries. Finding customers remains their main concern (27% of respondents, up from 25% in the previous round).
On balance, a net 1% of SMEs reported an increase in their need for bank loans (unchanged from the previous survey round).
For the third consecutive period, SMEs reported, on balance, an improvement in the availability of bank loans, a further fall in interest rates and an increase in the available size and maturity of loans and overdrafts. Of the 30% of SMEs that had applied for a loan, 68% received the full amount requested and 8% reported that their applications had been rejected.
This European Central Bank’s(ECB) survey round was conducted from 10 March to 21 April 2016. The total euro area sample size was 11,725 firms, of which 10,709 (91%) had fewer than 250 employees.
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