The share of families with debts, in arrears or not, in the country reached 77.5% in March this year. This is the highest proportion of people in debt since the beginning of the Consumer Indebtedness and Default Survey (Peic), in 2010, according to the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC).
In February, the percentage was 76.6%. In March last year, the rate was 67.3%, according to Peic.
The percentage of defaulters, that is, families with accounts or debts in arrears, reached 27.8%, the second highest percentage in the survey, just below that recorded in the first month of Peic, in January 2010 (29.1% ). In February, the rate was 27% and in March 2021, 24.4%.
Families that will not be able to pay their debts and overdue bills add up to 10.8%, above the percentages of February this year and March of last year (both 10.5%).
The credit card accounts for 87% of the reasons for indebtedness in the country, followed by booklets (18.7%), car financing (11.2%), personal credit (9.4%) and home financing (8, 6%).