Abstract. The global financial crisis determined the transition of the Romanian banking system from excess of liquidity to deficit, namely from an aggressive lending activity to a significant reduction of credit growth rate. In our country, the high indebtedness rate, especially in foreign currencies, is the main vulnerable spot of the population sector. The main objective of this paperwork is to analyze factors that influence the customers in their decision to borrow in foreign currencies or in Ron. In this matter, it was used a regional econometric model for panel data in order to see Romania’s customers borrowing preferences and to analyze if the crises have changed their behavior.

Keywords: financial crisis; banking system; borrowing behaviour; regional economy.