With a striking 32.86% cost-to-income ratio, China’s Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is the most efficient bank out of the world’s top 25 largest lenders. Chinese banks, in fact, dominate the list and occupy its first five positions, with ratios ranging between 32.86% and 40.28%.
The Asia-Pacific region as a whole has been steadily improving its average cost to income, which lowered to 40.73% from 50.88% and 55.17% in 2012 and 2011, respectively. China is, however, the only Asian country represented in the ranking. Data for the other Asian banks that would have been eligible because of their size (Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ, Sumitomo Mitsui, Mizuho and Norinchukin Bank) was not available before going to press. These banks were replaced by the next four in the global list.
