Small Business Loans Decreased in 2023 as Lending Standards Tightened

Small business and small farm loans decreased in 2023 as interest rates rose and lending standards tightened, according to three federal banking agencies with responsibilities for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

Compared to 2022, the number of small business loans originated decreased by 5.1% and the number of small farm loans originated decreased by 5.6%, according to a fact sheet released Monday (Dec. 16).

The dollar amount of these loans decreased by 8.9% and 5.2%, respectively, in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the fact sheet.

“The decrease in lending is likely due, at least in part, to rising interest rates and tighter lending standards,” the fact sheet said.

These figures are based on the agencies’ analysis of nationwide summary statistics for 2023 CRA data, according to the fact sheet.

They were compiled by the three federal banking agency members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council: the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The data covers only a portion of the credit extended to small businesses and farms, as depository institutions and nonbank financial institutions that don’t report CRA data also extend loans, per the fact sheet.

In terms of the number of loan originations in 2023, about 94.9% of small business loans and 80.2% of small farm loans were for amounts under $100,000, according to the fact sheet.

The analysis also found that 54.8% of small business loan originations and 58.1% of small farm loan originations went to firms with revenues of $1 million or less, per the fact sheet.

Only about 8.5% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have found working capital loans from banks to be readily available, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence and Cross River collaboration, “What’s Next in Credit: Why SMBs Prefer Corporate Credit Cards for Short-Term Financing.”

The report found that the challenges faced by these businesses suggest it may be difficult to qualify for business financing in today’s economic environment.

The FDIC said in October that a high-touch approach and in-person visits to bank branches are “key conduits” for small business lending.