One of the more notable features of The Banker's 2011 Top 1000 World Banks ranking was the appearance of Pakistan at the top of the country profits on average capital list, with 36.41%, ahead of second-placed Brazil with 31.95%.
Behind these impressive-looking figures, however, is a story of Pakistan’s high inflation and interest rates, which partly accounts for the profits of National Bank of Pakistan, Habib Bank, MCB Bank, United Bank and Allied Bank. Otherwise known as Pakistan's ‘big five’, these are the country's only entrants in The Banker's Top 1000 ranking. Meanwhile, the rest of Pakistan’s smaller banks struggle to be profitable in the face of higher capital requirements, and the vast majority of the country's population remains unbanked.
