Sardinian families' loan-taking habits are visibly changing, influenced by a continuing high cost of living, but also by the small relief provided by falling interest rates. Between the decrease in average amounts requested for personal loans, the preference for slightly shorter repayment periods, and the increasingly widespread need for immediate liquidity or to consolidate old debts into a single payment, the picture outlined in the new report from Segugio.it's Financing Observatory, updated at the end of October 2026, tells the story of a very careful and prudent region, where people strive to manage credit with great moderation to avoid overburdening the family budget.
After a summer marked by rising costs, October brought signs of recovery for those seeking personal loans. Data shows that the average APR for applications granted fell to 8.32 percent, an improvement from the 8.45 percent recorded in the third quarter of the year . This reduction brings overall conditions back to levels very similar to those at the beginning of the year, confirming that the market is finally stabilizing after the fluctuations of recent months.
The factor that continues to make the greatest difference for banks and financial companies, however, remains the type of job applicants hold. Looking at the payroll loan sector, where job security is strongest, different trends emerge depending on the applicant's profile: for private sector workers, the average rate increased slightly, rising from 7.09 to 7.16 percent, while for pensioners, the downward trend continued, with the rate settling at 7.49 percent .
The most advantageous conditions continue to be reserved for public and state employees, for whom the average interest rate in October dropped to 5.33 percent , the lowest level recorded in the last year. The financial difference between the various options is significant and significantly impacts the total amount to be repaid: as Matteo Favaro, head of the financial products department at Segugio.it, explains, a public employee who applies for a €10,000 loan to be repaid over seven years by choosing a salary-secured loan, compared to a standard personal loan with an interest rate of 8.32 percent, manages to .
