In 2024, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) was the world's largest bank by total assets, reaching nearly 6.7 trillion U.S. dollars. The next three largest banks were also based in China: the Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Bank of China. The largest non-Chinese bank that year was JPMorgan Chase, with total assets exceeding four trillion U.S. dollars. Largest bank by market capitalization The value of total assets is a common measure of a bank's prosperity, and is defined as all assets owned by the bank. Another common indicator is the bank's market capitalization, which is used to determine the size of the bank. The market capitalization is the market price of one share multiplied by the number of shares outstanding. Ranked by market capitalization instead of total assets, JPMorgan Chase was the largest bank in the world in 2024, while ICBC ranked third. How do digital banks compare? Digital banks have surged in popularity over the past decade, attracting millions of customers with their convenient mobile interfaces, lower fees, and innovative financial products. Despite this impressive user growth, their financial footprint remains dwarfed by traditional banking institutions. A prime example is WeBank, which despite boasting approximately 400 million users - making it the world's largest digital bank by customer count - managed total assets of only about 74 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

As of December 31, 2024, the largest bank in the world in terms of market capitalization was the U.S.-based J*************. The American banking giant's market cap exceeded *** billion U.S. dollars, which was significantly higher than ***************'s, which ranked second with a market cap of approximately ****** billion U.S. dollars. ************** was also the largest bank in the United States in terms of total assets but ranked only fifth globally, behind four Chinese banks. What is market capitalization? Market capitalization, also known as stock market value, is the total value of issued shares of a publicly traded company. It is equal to the share price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding. It applies only to publicly traded companies or companies that have made their stock market debut, also known as an initial public offering, or IPO. Due to the nature of the capitalist system and the practice of buying and selling stocks in public markets, market capitalization can be used as a proxy for the wider public’s opinion of a company’s net worth, making it therefore a determining factor in calculating other theoretical values of companies and their stocks, for example, stock valuation. How were banks affected by the coronavirus outbreak? The outbreak of the coronavirus left no industries unaffected and had a significant impact on the global financial markets. This can be seen in the banking industry, as the market capitalization of the largest banks worldwide dropped markedly between December 2019 and March 2020. For the largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, it was not until February 2021 that the market capitalization saw pre-pandemic figures again.

The “big four banks” in the United States are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank. These banks are not only the largest in the United States, but also rank among the top banks worldwide by market capitalization, with JPMorgan Chase being the most valuable bank in the world. Total assets of banks As the largest bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase had total assets worth close to *** trillion U.S. dollars as of June 2025. Despite being the bank with the highest market capitalization in the world, the bank ranked only fifth in terms of total assets worldwide, while the top four positions were all held by Chinese banks. Stability in the banking sector in the United States In early 2025, all the "big four" banks in the United States maintained a common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio significantly above the required minimum of *** percent. JPMorgan Chase reported a CET1 ratio of ***** percent. Meanwhile, the highest CET1 ratio among U.S. banks during this period was ***** percent, achieved by TD Bank, the 12th largest bank in the country in the first half of 2025.

**** was the largest bank in the United Kingdom in 2024, boasting total assets of over ************** U.S. dollars. As of 2024, **** was also the largest bank in Europe, and it stood as one of the global banking industry's leading institutions. Barclays held the second highest value of assets in the UK, followed by Lloyds. Market capitalization of the banking sector in Europe and the UK A different measure, frequently employed to determine the size of a bank, is market capitalization, or the total dollar market value of a company's outstanding shares. Market capitalization is calculated from the current market price of one share and the number of shares outstanding for a company. In 2024, **** was the largest bank in terms of market capitalization trading on the London Stock Exchange and overall in Europe. What does HSBC do? HSBC is a British multinational bank and financial services institution headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The bank serves customers with commercial banking, global private banking, global banking and markets, and personal financial services. The largest geographical region of the bank, in terms of revenue generation, is Asia. At the end of 2024, the bank had roughly ******* employees around the world.

France's banking sector continued to be dominated by traditional powerhouses in 2024, with BNP Paribas leading the pack. The bank's total assets reached an impressive 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars, solidifying its position as the largest bank in France. Crédit Agricole followed closely behind with 2.69 trillion U.S. dollars in assets, while Groupe BPCE and Société Générale rounded out the top four with assets exceeding 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars each. Financial performance and market presence BNP Paribas' leadership extends beyond total assets. The bank's market capitalization also saw substantial growth, reaching 79.3 billion euros in January 2024. This financial strength is further reflected in BNP Paribas' brand value, which exceeded 14 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, making it the most valuable French banking brand globally. Digital banking revolution While traditional banks maintain their dominance, the French banking landscape is experiencing a digital transformation. BoursoBank, a subsidiary of Société Générale, has emerged as the leading digital bank in France with 6.3 million customers in 2024. This growth aligns with the increasing penetration of online banking in France, which reached 72 percent in 2024, surpassing the EU average.

As of January 14, 2025, the market capitalization of ************** amounted to ****** billion U.S. dollars, making it the largest bank in the United States. By this measure, the second-largest bank was ***************, followed by ***********. ************** and *************** are also the two largest banks in the world by market capitalization. What is market capitalization? Market capitalization, or stock market value, is the total value of shares issued by a publicly traded company. It reflects the equity value of a company. Market cap is calculated by multiplying the market price of one share by the number of shares outstanding. For example, the market cap of Bank of America can be calculated by multiplying its share price by the number of shares it has issued. Other measures of company size Total assets also allow to determine the size of a bank. Instead of focusing on the stock price, this metric measures the size of the bank’s operations by counting the size of its balance sheet. Bank revenue and income are also common indicators used to compare banks and their performance.

The global banking sector has seen significant growth in recent years, with the market capitalization of the 100 largest banks reaching 7.4 trillion euros in early 2025. This marks the highest value observed since 2016, reflecting a strong recovery and expansion in the banking industry. The upward trend is particularly noteworthy given the fluctuations experienced in previous years, including the sharp decline during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Chinese banks dominate global rankings While market capitalization provides one measure of bank size, total assets offer another perspective. In 2023, Chinese banks occupied the top four positions globally based on total assets, with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) leading at approximately 6.3 trillion U.S. dollars. However, when ranked by market capitalization, JPMorgan Chase took the top spot, with ICBC falling to third place. This highlights the different metrics used to assess bank size and influence in the global financial landscape. China's banking sector continues to expand The growth in market capitalization of the world's largest banks is mirrored by the expansion of China's banking sector. By 2023, the number of banking institutions in China had reached 4,425, showing relative stability in recent years after a period of increase. Additionally, the value of bank assets in China amounted to over 50 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, nearly tripling over the past decade. This rapid growth underscores China's increasing importance in the global banking industry and its potential influence on overall market capitalization trends.

HSBC stood as Europe's only bank with a market capitalization exceeding 100 billion U.S. dollars as of December 31, 2024. The UK-based financial institution reached a market value of approximately ****** billion U.S. dollars, significantly ahead of its closest European competitor, UBS, which was valued at ***** billion U.S. dollars. Throughout the past decade, despite market fluctuations, HSBC has consistently maintained its position as Europe's most valuable bank by market capitalization. European banking: single representative in global elite Among the world's 15 largest banks by market capitalization in December 2024, HSBC was Europe's sole representative. JPMorgan Chase, headquartered in the United States, led the global rankings with a market value exceeding *** billion U.S. dollars. What is market capitalization? Market capitalization - calculated by multiplying a company's outstanding shares by its share price -serves as a widely used measure of company size. While this metric provides investors with an easily calculated indicator for risk assessment, it represents just one way to evaluate banks' performance. European banks can also be measured by other important metrics, including total assets, revenue, and cost-to-income ratio (CIR). These alternative measurements may paint a different picture of their relative strength and market position.

In 2024, Itaú Unibanco was the largest bank in Brazil based on total assets, with total assets exceeding *** billion U.S. dollars. Banco do Brasil ranked second, with assets amounting to approximately ***** billion U.S. dollars. The total value of assets of Brazilian banks added up to roughly *** trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, a figure that has been consistently increasing since 2002. Brazilian banking network Brazil was the country with the highest number of bank branches in Latin America, with ***** branches in 2023. However, in terms of accessibility, the South American country lags some regional counterparts. In 2023, the density of bank branches in Brazil reached only ** per 100,000 adults; in comparison to ** bank branches per 100,000 adults in Mexico. Digital banks in Brazil With the use of financial technology increasing around the world, online banking is becoming ever more popular, and the Brazilian market is no exception. In fact, Brazil is home to one of the leading digital banks worldwide, Nubank. Nubank's active users increased sharply in 2024, exceeding ** million, and its operating revenue reached over ** billion U.S. dollars.

In 2024, JPMorgan Chase was the largest U.S. employer in the banking sector, with a workforce exceeding ******* by year-end. Wells Fargo followed, employing over ******* people. JPMorgan Chase also held the top spot for the most bank branches in the country, a factor that likely contributed to its substantial headcount. Employment in the U.S. banking sector The number of employees of FDIC-insured banks in the United States fluctuated during the last decade, from around **** million in 2012, down to **** million in 2014, and up to around **** million in 2024. There is no clear downward trend in bank employment in the United States, despite the decreasing number of bank branches in the last several years. The largest banks The big four in the U.S. banking industry are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup. The largest, JPMorgan Chase, is not only the leading bank in the United States in terms of market capitalization, but also the leading bank in the world. The bank had a market capitalization of around *** billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

HSBC maintained its position as the largest bank in the United Kingdom by market capitalization from 2001 to 2024. On December 31, 2024, HSBC's market capitalization reached approximately 176.71 billion U.S. dollars, recovering to pre-pandemic levels and reinforcing its status as the largest European bank by market value. Bank market valuations during the pandemic The coronavirus pandemic significantly impacted global banking market capitalizations. In early 2020, the largest European banks experienced sharp declines in market value due to economic uncertainty. The worldwide banking market saw a substantial drop in market capitalization during 2020, with most major banks experiencing similar trends. However, the market began recovering throughout 2021, with banks gradually returning to pre-pandemic valuation levels. The banking industry in the UK The UK banking industry is led by five major chartered banks, increasingly challenged by digital banks like Starling and Monzo. Despite losing some customers domestically, HSBC remains significant - the largest bank in the United Kingdom and one of the world's largest financial institutions.

Banking assets worldwide have seen significant shifts in recent years, with China emerging as the leader in 2023, boasting over ** trillion U.S. dollars in financial assets. The United States followed closely behind, with assets exceeding ** trillion U.S. dollars. This data underscores the dominance of these two economic powerhouses in the global banking sector. The market capitalization of major banks further elucidates this trend, with the largest bank in the world, JPMorgan Chase, hailing from the United States and holding a market cap surpassing *** billion U.S. dollars, significantly higher than its closest competitor, Bank of America.

In 2024, Spanish banking giant Banco Santander led all European-based banks in customer numbers, serving approximately *** million clients worldwide. BBVA ranked second with **** million customers, followed by BNP Paribas with around ** million. The leading digital bank in Europe, Revolut, also featured prominently in this ranking, reporting **** million customers at the end of 2024.

Deutsche Bank had the largest amount of total assets among German banks as of 2021. Other leading institutions included the DZ Bank and KfW. All of them are headquartered in Frankfurt. Deutsche Bank is the largest bank in the country, totaling over **** trillion euros in assets. Bank assets Germany is Europe’s largest economy, housing several banks of international importance which look back on a long history. By definition, assets are owned and have value. Banks hold assets in a variety of forms. The first one that undoubtedly comes to mind is cash; others include share certificates, consumer loans, equipment, property or land. These are further classified based on whether they bring value within a specified time period or not. While Deutsche Bank was ahead in Germany, it is worth noting that asset sums decreased in recent years. Leadership challenges Deutsche Bank is among the largest banks in the world as of 2021, based on assets, ranking **** in a list published by S&P Global. It also ranks among the ten leading banks in Europe, also referring to total assets. Future asset development, as for many banks around the world, is facing new pressure due to the continued effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and climbing inflation levels.

In 2024, JPMorgan was the world's leading bank in terms of investment banking revenue, generating around *** billion U.S. dollars. In 2024, JPMorgan was also the largest bank in the United States by total assets, followed by Bank of America and City Group. Global investment banking is dominated by U.S. banks The top five investment banks globally were all American multinational firms. In 2024, the two leading investment banks by revenue were JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. While JPMorgan outpaced Goldman Sachs, both banks reported revenues exceeding *** billion U.S. dollars. BofA Securities and Morgan Stanley ranked third and fourth, with revenues of approximately *** billion and *** billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Together, these four banks held nearly a ***** of the global investment banking market share in terms of revenue in 2024. Investment banking fees Unsurprisingly, JPMorgan was also the leading bank in terms of investment banking fees. These fees represent the returns banks earn for offering investment services, such as facilitating mergers and acquisitions. In 2024, the largest value of investment banking fees came from services provided to the financial sector.

In 2024, the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores of the largest banks worldwide varied markedly across different score providers. **************, the largest bank globally in terms of market capitalization, showed a wide range of scores: when standardized to a score out of 100, the highest score was given by MSCI, at ****, and the lowest by S&P Global (previously RobecoSAM), at **, while the score from Sustainalytics had a value of **. With only one green bond issued since December 2020, JPMorgan Chase ranked tenth among the leading banks worldwide by value of green bond issuance. Growing commitment to sustainability Banks worldwide are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability in their operations. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance, launched in 2021, has grown to include *** members as of September 2024, with the majority located in Europe. This initiative demonstrates the banking sector's commitment to aligning their operations with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Members are required to set interim targets and provide annual progress reports, indicating a shift towards more transparent and accountable sustainability practices in the industry. ESG scores and their growing role in investment decisions ESG scores measure a company's exposure to long-term environmental, social, and governance risks. These non-financial factors are a growing concern for investors worldwide, and many of them now integrate ESG data in their investment decision-making to have a positive impact on the environment and society. As a result, the assets of ESG funds worldwide increased considerably in recent years, reaching a value of *** billion U.S. dollars in 2023. ESG factors cover a broad spectrum of sustainability criteria, but environmental concerns are still the main drivers of ESG investing. Despite rising pressure on companies to decrease their impact on the environment, the carbon dioxide emissions of the largest banks worldwide are still far from sustainable.

In 2024, JPMorgan Chase was the commercial bank with the highest revenue in the United States, with a total revenue of over 177 billion U.S. dollars. Bank of America and Wells Fargo followed, with 101.9 and 82.3 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. These three banks were also the largest banks in terms of total assets in the United States that year. Commercial banking A commercial bank is a bank that offers financial services to private customers and companies, such as accepting deposits, checking services or loans. Commercial banks earn money through interest rates on the loans that they offer. Such rates are significantly higher than the interest rates paid to the bank customers for depositing their assets in a bank. This difference in rates is called net interest income, which is one of the leading indicators of bank performance. Commercial vs investment banks Some banks specialize only in commercial or investment banking, while some banks combine both divisions in their operations. Investment banks specialize in managing assets of their clients, underwriting securities or supervising merger and acquisition transactions.

In 2024, the value of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's assets amounted to **** trillion U.S. dollars. The bank was not only the largest bank in China but also the largest bank in the world. When the bank went public in Hong Kong, it was the most valuable IPO in history at the time. Banking industry in China As one of the world’s largest players, the Chinese banking industry documented an increase in total assets, reaching around *** trillion yuan in 2023. Although the banking sector in China developed as a state-owned and policy-driven industry in the early opening up and reforming period, today, it has evolved into a more diversified and competitive market. Most of the leading state-owned banks, such as the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, were restructured into joint-stock companies in the early 2000s, while a growing body of commercial banks started their operations on a regional level. In addition, more and more banks specialize in segmented areas. For instance, Ping An Bank grew the fastest as a private banking service provider, partly due to synergies with its well-established insurance business. Furthermore, the rapid-expanding internet economy allowed for the rise of non-physical banks like WeBank, which is backed by Tencent and China Zheshang Bank. A thriving yet chaotic digital payments market China’s financial industry is an early adopter of new technologies and innovations, and the fintech-empowered digital payments market in China is one of the fiercest battlefields in this sector. Companies with the most impressive performances are the third-party payment service operators backed by internet tycoons such as WeChat Pay and Alipay. Both had a user base of over *********** as of 2025. Confronted with the increasing threat of non-bank channel payments, traditional commercial banks have been pushing forward their digitalization transition. As of November 2024, monthly active app users of the Industrial and Commercial Bank amounted to almost ** million.

In 2024, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) retained its position as the world's largest bank by Tier 1 capital, totaling approximately *** billion U.S. dollars. It was followed by three other major Chinese banks. JPMorgan Chase ranked fifth globally, with Tier 1 capital of ****** billion U.S. dollars. In Europe, HSBC led the region, reporting just over *** billion U.S. dollars in Tier 1 capital.

As of December 2024, KB Kookmin Bank was the largest bank in South Korea, with total assets of around ***** trillion South Korean won. Hana Bank followed with about ***** trillion South Korean won in assets. Bank assets are economic resources that belong to a bank and consist, among other things, of loans, securities, and cash and dues from financial institutions. Overall, the total assets of South Korean banks have risen steadily in recent years. Banks in South Korea South Korea’s banking sector comprises ** domestic banks and ** foreign bank branches. KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, and Woori Bank are among the largest commercial banks, not only in terms of total assets but also in terms of deposits and loans granted. In 2016, two digital banks, Kakao Bank and K Bank, were established and have since received national and international recognition. The third internet-only bank, Toss Bank, entered the race in 2021. Growing popularity of mobile banking Recently, mobile banking has become very popular among South Koreans. The number of mobile banking customers and corresponding transaction volume has increased dramatically in the last few years. To meet the demand, banks have launched more customer-friendly mobile banking apps and partnered with fintech companies to offer various innovative financial services such as Open Banking.