The Impact of Macroeconomic Factors on Bank Credit Risk

Abstract

Credit risk has become one of the main risks faced by banks under the background of increasing loan demand. Meanwhile, bank credit risk may be affected by a number of factors, including the expansion rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), changes in interest rate, unemployment rate and even more. These macroeconomic factors are crucial in determining how credit risk for banks is shaped. This paper concludes the different impacts of different macroeconomic factors discussed in several papers on the risks of bank credit, and illustrates how changes in GDP growth rate and rate of interest affect credit risks. Through comprehensive literature review and empirical research, this paper finds that macro factors, including the expansion rate of GDP and the rate of interest, have considerable impacts on banks' credit risk. Bank credit risk will decrease as GDP growth rate increases; however the risk of bank credit will increase as interest rates rise. At the end, the paper provides several suggestions for the development of risk management strategies, including the monitoring of macroeconomic factors and the adjustment of credit policies under different economic situations. The research results are intended to help researchers in related fields understand current research findings and patterns of development in the research field, to give a theoretical foundation and backing for their investigations, and to offer important guiding significance for banks and relevant regulators to formulate risk management strategies.