Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimated credit to the resident private sector in Lebanon to be equivalent to 104.2% of GDP at the end of June 2018, which is higher than the ratio of 102.2% in Asia, and significantly higher than the Emerging Europe, the Middle East & Africa region's (EEMEA) ratio of 43.7% of GDP and Latin America's ratio of 41.5% of GDP. Lebanon has the fifth highest credit-to-GDP ratio among 66 emerging markets with available figures, the highest such ratio among 52 economies in the EEMEA region and among 12 Arab countries included in the survey.

In addition, it estimated the non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio in the Lebanese banking sector at 5.4%, lower than the EEMEA's NPLs ratio of 7.8%, and compared to NPLs ratios of 2.8% for Latin America and of 1.7% for Asia. The Lebanese banking sector, along with the Armenian banking system, has the 25th lowest NPLs ratio among 47 banking sectors, the 13th lowest such ratio among 34 economies in the EEMEA region and the second lowest among three Arab countries with available figures.

In parallel, it noted that foreign claims reported to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) against Lebanese banks are equivalent to 4.3% of Lebanon’s GDP, compared to a ratio of 3.4% of GDP for Asia, of 1.8% of GDP in Latin America and of 0.9% of GDP for the EEMEA region. The Lebanese banking sector has the 10th highest ratio of foreign claims of BIS-reporting banks among 68 banking sectors, the seventh highest ratio among 53 economies in the EEMEA region and the fourth highest among 13 Arab countries.