(Yicai) Sept. 2 -- Forty-two of China's publicly traded banks reported that their outstanding individual mortgages fell CNY319.1 billion (USD44.9 billion) over the first six months of this year due to the slow recovery of the domestic real estate market.

Chinese listed lenders had CNY34 trillion (USD4.78 trillion) in outstanding individual mortgages as of June 30, according to data from Wind Information. The figure at the 'big six' state-owned commercial banks -- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Bank of Communications, Agricultural Bank of China, and Postal Savings Bank of China -- reached CNY26 trillion, while it accounted for 98 percent of the drop seen since Dec. 31.

Chinese lenders' outstanding individual mortgage scale shrank for the first time last year, with that among listed banks plunging over CNY500 billion from 2022.

CCB had the most in outstanding individual mortgages among the 'big six' lenders with CNY6.31 trillion as of June 30, followed by ICBC with CNY6.17 trillion, while the figure exceeded CNY1 trillion at each of the other four.

Listed banks broadly enhanced their efforts to issue home loans and improve service experience, according to their first-half financial reports. However, only 13 lenders saw a net growth in individual mortgages due to sluggish property sales, early repayments, and other factors.

The delinquency rate of individual mortgages increased at 19 of the 21 lenders to disclose their first-half figures. It topped 1.33 percent at Qingdao Rural Commercial Bank, 1.25 percent at Bank of Lanzhou, 1.12 percent at Bank of Zhengzhou, and 1.08 percent at Bank of Chongqing.

Editors: Shi Yi, Martin Kadiev