Riksbank decides on interest-free deposits for credit institutions

The Riksbank is exercising the option of a deposit requirement and decides that Swedish credit institutions and Swedish branches of foreign credit institutions hold a total of SEK 40,055 million in interest-free deposits on account with the Riksbank with effect from 31 October 2025. The purpose of the interest-free deposit is to contribute to the Riksbank’s ability to fund itself and the decision is not assessed as having any significant effect on financial stability or monetary policy.

The decision follows a change in the law that allows the Riksbank to require all credit institutions and branches operating in Sweden to hold a certain amount as an interest-free deposit with the Riksbank. The amount shall be a certain percentage of the institution's deposit base, which consists of deposits and issued debt instruments. This means that the largest institutions contribute most to the Riksbank's funding.

The deposit requirement corresponds to the difference between the target level for the Riksbank's equity, which is currently just over SEK 63 billion, and the Riksbank's equity, which is just over SEK 23 billion.

Each year, the Riksbank will need to decide whether a deposit requirement is needed and, if so, how large the requirement should be.