The number of FDIC-insured commercial banks in the United States decreased steadily from 2000 to 2024. At the end of 2024, there were 3,928 FDIC-insured commercial banks in the country, down from 4,036 a year earlier. The FDIC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, is an agency that insures the banking system in the U.S. Despite the dropping number of banks, the number of employees in the banking industry increased in the last two decades. Why do banks need insurance? The number of banks is shrinking, but the value of deposits in these banks is growing, amounting to trillions of U.S. dollars. The primary function of the FDIC is to insure these deposits up to 250,000 U.S. dollars. Under stable economic conditions, this task can be performed without particular difficulties. However, during economic uncertainties and recessions, it can be challenging. During the Global Financial Crisis, hundreds of FDIC-insured banks declared insolvency. Account holders were then eligible for compensation for the portion of their accounts that the FDIC insured. Financial figures of the FDIC-insured banks Except in times of deep recession, U.S. banks have a positive net operating income. It amounted to over 324 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. The value of funds borrowed by the U.S. FDIC-insured banks reached 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars that year.

As of June 2025, JPMorgan Chase Bank was the largest bank in the United States by the number of branches, with ***** branches nationwide. It was followed by Wells Fargo Bank, which operated ***** branches, and Bank of America, with ***** branches. For context, JPMorgan Chase had approximately **** times the number of branches as Lloyds Bank, the leading British bank by branch count. Is the U.S. banking sector stable? The stability of the U.S. banking sector has improved steadily since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The share of non-performing loans held by U.S. banks has consistently decreased over time. As of the second quarter of 2025, all four of the largest U.S. banks - Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup - maintained a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio well above the Basel-III minimum requirement of *** percent. The CET1 capital ratio, which measures a bank’s core capital against its risk-weighted assets, is a key indicator of a bank's financial strength and resilience. Digital banking in the U.S. With the rise of digital services, many traditional banking functions can now be performed online, reducing the need for a physical presence. Since 2009, the number of bank branches in the United States has steadily declined as consumers increasingly rely on digital banking solutions. This trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more Americans turning to online banking for convenience and cost-effectiveness.

Graph and download economic data for Number of Bank Branches for United States (DDAI02USA643NWDB) from 2004 to 2019 about banks, depository institutions, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Number of Banks in the United States (X08ABUS) from 1914 to 1941 about , and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Commercial Banks in the U.S. (DISCONTINUED) (USNUM) from Q1 1984 to Q3 2020 about commercial, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Commercial Banks in the U.S. with average assets under $1B (DISCONTINUED) (US1NUM) from Q1 1984 to Q3 2020 about commercial, assets, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

The number of credit unions in the United States decreased notably between 2013 and 2024. At the end of 2024, there were ***** federally insured credit unions in the U.S., representing a significant decline from previous years. Despite this reduction in the number of institutions, the total assets managed by credit unions continued to grow. In 2024, U.S. credit unions' combined assets surpassed **** trillion U.S. dollars, highlighting the sector's financial expansion even as consolidation reduced the count of individual organizations.

United States Number of FDIC Insured Inst: Annual: Commercial Banks data was reported at 4,918.000 Unit in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5,112.000 Unit for 2016. United States Number of FDIC Insured Inst: Annual: Commercial Banks data is updated yearly, averaging 13,312.500 Unit from Dec 1934 (Median) to 2017, with 84 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14,496.000 Unit in 1984 and a record low of 4,918.000 Unit in 2017. United States Number of FDIC Insured Inst: Annual: Commercial Banks data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.KB012: Financial Data: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: Insured Institutions.

Graph and download economic data for Number of Commercial Banks in the United States (X08CBTUS) from 1914 to 1941 about , and USA.

Among the four largest banks headquartered in the United States, JPMorgan Chase had the highest number of active mobile customers in 2024. Over 57 million JPMorgan Chase customers were active mobile banking users. Bank of America had the second-highest number of active mobile customers, which was roughly 40 million.

The estimated number of banks and thrifts in the United States fell from around 31,000 in 1920 to 26,000 in 1929, when the onset of the Great Depression would then see it fall further, below 15,000 in 1933. This marks a cumulative decline of over 16,000 banks and thrifts, which is equal to a drop of more than 52 percent in 13 years. Tumultuous Twenties Despite the economic prosperity associated with the Roarin' 1920s in the U.S., it was a tumultuous decade in financial terms, with more separate recessions than any other decade. However, the 1920s was also privy to frivolous lending policies among many banks, which saw the banking sector collapse in the wake of the Wall Street Crash in 1929. Many banks failed as the Great Depression and unemployment spread across the country, and customers or businesses could not afford to repay their loans. It was only after this financial crisis where the federal government began keeping more stringent and accurate records on its banking sector, therefore precise figures and the reasons behind these bank failures are not always clear. Franklin D. Roosevelt Just two days after assuming office in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt drastically declared a bank holiday, and all banks in the country were closed from March 6 until March 13. This break allowed Congress to pass the Emergency Banking Act on March 9, which saw the Federal Reserve provide deposit insurance for all reopened banks thereafter. Through his first fireside chat, Roosevelt then encouraged Americans to re-deposit their money in the banks again, which successfully restored much of the public's faith in the banking system - it is estimated that over half of the cash withdrawn during the Great Depression was then returned to the banks by March 15.

Graph and download economic data for Percentage of Foreign Banks Among Total Banks for United States (DDOI13USA156NWDB) from 1995 to 2013 about foreign, percent, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

The H.8 release provides an estimated weekly aggregate balance sheet for all commercial banks in the United States. The release also includes separate balance sheet aggregations for several bank groups: domestically chartered commercial banks; large domestically chartered commercial banks; small domestically chartered commercial banks; and foreign-related institutions in the United States. Foreign-related institutions include U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks as well as Edge Act and agreement corporations. Published weekly, the release is typically available to the public by 4:15 p.m. each Friday. If Friday is a federal holiday, then the data are released on Thursday.The H.8 release is primarily based on data that are reported weekly by a sample of approximately 875 domestically chartered banks and foreign-related institutions. As of December 2009, U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks accounted for about 60 of the weekly reporters and domestically chartered banks made up the rest of the sample. Data for domestically chartered commercial banks and foreign-related institutions that do not report weekly are estimated at a weekly frequency based on quarterly Call Report data.

United States FDIC Commercial Banks: Return on Equity data was reported at 11.147 % in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 11.044 % for Sep 2024. United States FDIC Commercial Banks: Return on Equity data is updated quarterly, averaging 10.377 % from Dec 2001 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 93 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.530 % in Dec 2003 and a record low of -10.150 % in Dec 2008. United States FDIC Commercial Banks: Return on Equity data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB: Performance and Condition Ratios.

United States COF: Number of Domestic Branches data was reported at 468.000 Number in Dec 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 474.000 Number for Sep 2019. United States COF: Number of Domestic Branches data is updated quarterly, averaging 698.000 Number from Mar 2001 (Median) to Dec 2019, with 76 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 991.000 Number in Jun 2010 and a record low of 236.000 Number in Dec 2003. United States COF: Number of Domestic Branches data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Board. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB006: Commercial Banks: Consolidated Assets.

United States Commercial Banks: sa: Total Assets data was reported at 16,792.847 USD bn in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 16,730.351 USD bn for Sep 2018. United States Commercial Banks: sa: Total Assets data is updated monthly, averaging 4,153.097 USD bn from Jan 1973 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 550 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,811.753 USD bn in Jun 2018 and a record low of 702.319 USD bn in Jan 1973. United States Commercial Banks: sa: Total Assets data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Board. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB031: Balance Sheet: Commercial Banks: Monthly.

United States - Commercial Banks in the U.S. (DISCONTINUED) was 4375.00000 Number in July of 2020, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Commercial Banks in the U.S. (DISCONTINUED) reached a record high of 14400.00000 in January of 1984 and a record low of 4375.00000 in July of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Commercial Banks in the U.S. (DISCONTINUED) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

United States - Number of Branches or offices, Commercial banks

United States USB: Number of Foreign Branches data was reported at 1.000 Number in Dec 2019. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.000 Number for Sep 2019. United States USB: Number of Foreign Branches data is updated quarterly, averaging 1.000 Number from Mar 2001 (Median) to Dec 2019, with 76 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.000 Number in Sep 2001 and a record low of 1.000 Number in Dec 2019. United States USB: Number of Foreign Branches data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Board. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB006: Commercial Banks: Consolidated Assets.

Graph and download economic data for Number of National Banks in the United States (X04NOB) from H2 1863 to H2 1941 about , and USA.