Consumer credit: the number of unpaid bills and over-indebtedness cases reaches record highs

The number of consumer loan defaults continues to rise, as does the number of people registered in the national database of personal loan repayment incidents, the Association of Financial Companies (ASF), the organization representing credit and financial services companies, announced Monday.

In the first quarter of 2025, the number of over-indebtedness case files increased by 4% year-on-year, according to the latest data from the Banque de France, reaching a level not seen since 2019, around 135,000 cases.

This increase in unpaid rent doesn't just affect monthly loan payments. In 2024, 171,000 payment orders were served on tenants, an 11% increase year-on-year, which is the first step after a landlord initiates legal proceedings for unpaid rent.

The national energy mediator is warning of a worrying increase in calls for unpaid energy bills. For the fourth consecutive year, the number of power outages and power cuts in France has risen sharply, a tangible sign of the growing financial difficulties French households face in paying their gas and electricity bills.

The Banque de France estimates that 4.3 million people are in a situation of financial vulnerability.