TOKYO -- Consumer lending in Japan has climbed to its highest levels in more than a decade, with notable growth seen among such mobile-loan focused upstarts as Line Credit and Merpay, as inflation squeezes household finances.
Outstanding unsecured lending to consumers, excluding housing loans, grew 5.4% on the year to 4.41 trillion yen ($29.9 billion) in December, according to the Japan Financial Services Association. This was down slightly from November but still close to its highest point since May 2013.
.JPG?width=178&fit=cover&gravity=faces&dpr=2&quality=medium&source=nar-cms&format=auto&height=100)
