The most striking developments in the 2012 edition of the Top 1000 World Banks ranking are the collapse of profitability in Western Europe, and the surge in profits in Asia, especially China. Europe's share of bank assets has fallen from 58% in 2006 to 45% in 2011, mostly to the benefit of Asia, whose share rose from 22% to 34%. But over the same period, Europe's share of profits tumbled from 46% to just 6%. Meanwhile, Asia's profits soared from 19% to 54%, with China alone generating almost 30% of global banking profits.
To find out more about the profound trends changing the global landscape, see our analysis of this year's Top 1000 World Banks ranking.
