February 26, 2015. Last year, Russian micro-financing organizations’ clients used to borrow money primarily to buy home appliances or gifts for relatives or to fund household repairs; however, in the last quarter of 2014, there was an increase in the number of loans taken out to buy groceries and everyday goods. This trend is expected to continue this year, Bystrodengi reports.

This micro-financing business predicts that while the population’s nominal income remains the same and the inflation rate keeps rising, blue-collar workers, public sector employees, and retirees – the micro-lending sector’s key customers – need to borrow more.

The company analysts also point out the loans are now paid out less smoothly. Based on Bystrodengi’s customer survey, the borrowers increasingly complain of arrears of wages and their employers’ financial troubles. In 2014, only 30% of micro-loans were overdue for more than ninety days; this year, the figure might reach 35%.