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DID YOU KNOW THAT

High turnover in the payment system
The RIX system has a weekly turnover that corresponds to the entire Swedish annual gross domestic product, GDP.
 
Card transactions on the increase
Since the 1990s the number of transactions using cards has increased sixfold. Cards now account for 50 per cent of the total number of transactions. The use of cheques has gradually declined and is currently negligible.

Picture of a man standing at a payment terminal

Financial stability

One of the Riksbank's core functions is to promote a safe and efficient payment system. The payment system is important for all economic activities and is a central component of the financial system. For that reason the Riksbank regularly analyses the risks and threats to the stability of the Swedish financial system. The purpose of this analysis is to detect changes and vulnerabilities that could lead to a serious crisis. The major Swedish banks have particular significance in the analysis. The Riksbank's assessment of stability is published twice yearly in the Financial Stability Report. READ MORE

The Financial Stability Report

The latest Financial Stability Report

Picture on the Financial Stability Report

At present the Riksbank sees no serious threats to financial stability, according to the Financial Stability Report from December 2006. In addition, the banks’ resilience has increased further over the past six months.

 

The fact that the banks’ resilience has increased is due to continued improvements in profitability as a result of a strong stock market, continued high growth in lending and very low loan losses. At the same time, the Riksbank highlights a number of areas where risks are building up: The risk of rapid price adjustments in the financial markets, the increase in house prices and household indebtedness, increased borrowing and rising prices for leveraged buyouts, rapidly rising commercial property prices and the high credit growth in the Baltic States.

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CRISIS MANAGEMENT

What do we do if a financial crisis occurs?

A financial crisis can arise unexpectedly and spread rapidly. Good preparations for crisis management may prove crucial in an emergency situation. Among other things, it is vital to have effective communication channels with both Swedish and foreign authorities.

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LAST UPDATED 4/4/2004