Between 2005 and 2011, household debt increased greatly, mainly due to the increase in housing loans. The proportion of indebted households remained stable: one household out of two had a consumer or housing loan, representing around 14 million households in 2011. Linked to the rise in property prices, the average amount outstanding on housing loans grew by 58% between 2005 and 2011. However, the weight of monthly repayments for households remained stable over this period. The increase has therefore been financed by a lengthening of the life of the loan, especially among first-time buyers. Consumer debt allows less well-off households to offset low incomes and improve living conditions; however, households with only consumer debt hold back in their consumption expenditure more than the others. In 2011, 40% of them stated that they could not take a week's holiday over the previous twelve months, compared to 28% among other households.