Financial Growth
Federally insured credit unions ended 2025 with stronger balance sheets, higher earnings and continued membership growth, according to newly released data from the NCUA.
Total assets across the credit union system rose $126 billion, or 5.4%, over the year to reach $2.43 trillion by the fourth quarter of 2025. Loan growth also remained steady, with outstanding balances increasing $76 billion, or 4.6%, to $1.72 trillion. The average loan balance climbed to $19,397, up 5.3% from the previous year.
Profitability improved significantly during the year. Net income across federally insured credit unions totaled $18.8 billion in 2025, a 31.5% increase from 2024. The system's return on average assets rose to 79 basis points, up from 63 basis points a year earlier, while net interest margin increased to 3.39% of average assets.
Membership also continued to expand, with credit unions adding 2.4 million members during the year to reach 144.7 million nationwide. At the same time, deposits and insured shares grew 4.7% to $1.86 trillion.
Loan performance remained relatively stable, though delinquency rates edged higher. The systemwide delinquency rate reached 1.03% in the fourth quarter, up slightly from a year earlier, while the net charge-off ratio declined modestly to 0.78%.
The report also highlighted ongoing consolidation in the industry. The number of federally insured credit unions fell to 4,287 at year-end, down from 4,455 in 2024. Meanwhile, the number of larger institutions rose to 739. Larger institutions, as defined by the NCUA, are those credit unions with more than $500 million in assets.
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