Spanish banks borrowed €126.3 billion from the European Central Bank in June, the Bank of Spain said, revealing a record figure as institutions struggle to refinance on international markets.
The amount borrowed last month rose by 78.6% from the amount at the same time last year and represents a rise of 47.5% over the amount borrowed in May, figures published on the website of Spain's central bank showed.
Spain is a member of the euro zone but is also in the front line of concern about the resilience of its banking system, and of concerns over the scale of public deficits and debt.
It was the highest amount borrowed in a one-month period by Spanish banks from the Frankfurt-based ECB since the Bank of Spain started publishing the figures when the euro zone was launched in 1999.
The rise in borrowing by Spanish banks comes as the total amount lent by the ECB to financial institutions in the entire 16-nation euro zone in June dropped to €496.7 billion from €518.6 billion in May and from €615.9 billion during the same time last year.
The solidity of Spanish financial institutions will be revealed when European officials publish bank stress tests on 23 July.
EU regulators are examining the strength of 91 banks in an attempt to reassure investors about the institutions' resilience to potential losses as the debt crisis pummels the bonds of Spain, Portugal and Greece.
Fitch credit-rating agency downgraded its long-term notation for Spanish bank Banco Popular by two notches today and its short-term rating by one notch.
It said its decision was motivated by the effect of weak performance by the Spanish economy on the bank.
