Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Ecuador’s banking system added more first-time credit card users in 2025, with 4.63 million cards recording consumption. The trend matters for residents building local financial history.
Asobanca says Ecuador’s private banks will keep major service channels available during the June 26 national holiday. Branches, digital banking, ATMs and non-bank correspondents are expected to operate.
Ecuador’s cooperative sector is still being cleaned up, with 38 credit cooperatives in forced liquidation as of May 5, 2026. Ambato, Quito and Cuenca account for most of the liquidation processes, while rising delinquency continues to pressure smaller institutions.
Net housing reservations in Ecuador rose 28% from January to April 2026 compared with the same period last year. Builders now project that annual housing sales could reach or exceed 40,000 units if favorable conditions continue.
Ecuador now has 393 institutions in the popular-and-solidarity finance market, including 387 savings and credit cooperatives. Segment 1 cooperatives hold more than $24.6 billion in assets, about 31% of private-bank assets, and the largest cooperatives now rank among the country's biggest financial institutions.
Primicias reports that Ecuador's overdue financial-system portfolio managed by collection firms has risen from about $1.6 billion before Covid-19 to about $2.5 billion today, according to Asocob.
El Comercio reports that Quito's seven main monitored crime indicators fell 25% between January 1 and May 9 compared with 2025. Robbery against people remains the most common issue, and neighborhood leaders still warn about underreporting and reactive policing.
Primicias reports that mortgage-credit disbursements grew 22% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Sales, project visits and net reservations also rose, giving buyers and renters another signal that the housing market is tightening.
Banco Pichincha went from $42M to $88M in profits. Banco del Pacífico: $46M to $84M. The president posted the numbers on X and questioned who benefits from the crisis narrative.
International investors put up $7 billion in orders for $1 billion in Ecuadorian sovereign bonds. The yield improved, the country risk hit an 11-year low, and the government says it proves confidence is back.
The Superintendencia de Bancos just published a list of 14 unlicensed organizations illegally collecting money from the public. They promise high returns in short timeframes. Last year alone, 60 similar entities were detected.
President Noboa's Decreto Ejecutivo 354 bridges Thursday April 30 to the May 1 national holiday, giving public and private sector workers four consecutive days off. Overtime is double pay. Here's what closes.
