pre_text: 18 . allowance for credit losses .
post_text: ( 1 ) reclassified to conform to the current period 2019s presentation . ( 2 ) 2009 primarily includes reductions to the loan loss reserve of approximately $ 543 million related to securitizations , approximately $ 402 million related to the sale or transfers to held-for-sale of u.s . real estate lending loans , and $ 562 million related to the transfer of the u.k . cards portfolio to held-for-sale . 2008 primarily includes reductions to the loan loss reserve of approximately $ 800 million related to fx translation , $ 102 million related to securitizations , $ 244 million for the sale of the german retail banking operation , $ 156 million for the sale of citicapital , partially offset by additions of $ 106 million related to the cuscatl e1n and bank of overseas chinese acquisitions . 2007 primarily includes reductions to the loan loss reserve of $ 475 million related to securitizations and transfers to loans held-for-sale , and reductions of $ 83 million related to the transfer of the u.k . citifinancial portfolio to held-for-sale , offset by additions of $ 610 million related to the acquisitions of egg , nikko cordial , grupo cuscatl e1n and grupo financiero uno . ( 3 ) represents additional credit loss reserves for unfunded corporate lending commitments and letters of credit recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. .
table: In millions of dollars 2009 2008(1) 2007(1)
table: Allowance for loan losses at beginning of year $29,616 $16,117 $8,940
table: Gross credit losses (32,784) (20,760) (11,864)
table: Gross recoveries 2,043 1,749 1,938
table: Net credit (losses) recoveries (NCLs) $(30,741) $(19,011) $(9,926)
table: NCLs $30,741 $19,011 $9,926
table: Net reserve builds (releases) 5,741 11,297 6,550
table: Net specific reserve builds (releases) 2,278 3,366 356
table: Total provision for credit losses $38,760 $33,674 $16,832
table: Other, net(2) (1,602) (1,164) 271
table: Allowance for loan losses at end of year $36,033 $29,616 $16,117
table: Allowance for credit losses on unfunded lending commitments at beginning of year(3) $887 $1,250 $1,100
table: Provision for unfunded lending commitments 244 (363) 150
table: Allowance for credit losses on unfunded lending commitments at end of year(3) $1,157 $887 $1,250
table: Total allowance for loans, leases, and unfunded lending commitments $37,190 $30,503 $17,367
question: Analyse this data from a financial earnings document. what was the percentage change in the allowance for loan losses from 2007 to 2008?