Total credit provided to the private sector by financial intermediaries rose by 0.3 per cent over December 2011, after rising by 0.3 per cent over November. Over the year to December, total credit rose by 3.5 per cent.

Other personal credit declined by 0.1 per cent over December, after rising by 0.1 per cent over November. Over the year to December, other personal credit decreased by 1.0 per cent.

Business credit rose by 0.3 per cent over December, after increasing by 0.2 per cent over November. Over the year to December, business credit increased by 1.4 per cent.

Over the month of December, M3 grew by 1.2 per cent and broad money grew by 1.0 per cent. Over the year to December, broad money grew by 7.5 per cent.

All growth rates for the financial aggregates are seasonally adjusted, and adjusted for the effects of breaks in the series as recorded in the footnotes to tables.

Figures showing the levels of financial aggregates are not adjusted for series breaks. Historical levels and growth rates for the financial aggregates have been revised owing to the resubmission of data by some financial intermediaries, the re-estimation of seasonal factors and the incorporation of securitisation data.