Concentration in the banking sector and housing lending in Russian regions

Abstract

The article examines the global and Russian experience in analyzing the influence of concentration and competition on the functioning of the banking sector, including the mortgage market. The information on housing loans issued by banks in the regions of Russia is used and the level of concentration in the regional housing lending markets is estimated. It is shown that regional housing loan markets are highly concentrated. It has been revealed that the concentration level negatively affects the dynamics of housing lending in the regions of the country. High concentration is also associated with slightly higher lending interest rates and their smaller spread. This may be the evidence that high concentration hinders the development of lending in the regions of Russia, which means that the level of competition in the banking sector is insufficient.