Impact of Digital Technology on Traditional Banking: A Case From the Credit Market in the European Union

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to investigate whether digital technologies affect the credit market in the European Union (EU). The impact of digital technology on three types of bank loans (residential mortgage loans, consumer loans and corporate loans) is analysed separately for two groups of EU countries: Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe. A dynamic panel regression model is employed based on yearly data on the individual bank level. The sample panel data cover the period 2010–2019. The results show that digital technology affects the growth of loans for households, mortgages and consumer loans. We also find heterogeneity between the Central and Eastern European and Western European banking sectors. Furthermore, the impact of digital technology on bank loan development is significantly stronger in foreign banks. Finally, the findings confirm the dominant role of digital technologies in loans for households during the analysed period. This is the first comprehensive study on the determinants of different loan types in the context of digital technology use in the EU.