French and German banks' fortunes diverge

The performance of banking sectors in the eurozone’s two largest countries can be illustrated by the number of banks and total assets of French and German banks in The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks ranking over the past decade.

Back in 2011, the total assets held by German banks and French banks in the Top 1000 were broadly similar, with German banks holding $7.7tn and French banks holding $8.7tn in assets, despite the fact that Germany had 36 banks in the ranking compared with just seven French banks. 

Over the past 10 years, the number of German banks in the ranking has dropped to 23 banks in 2021. The number of French banks, meanwhile, has remained steady over the decade, led by dominant institutions such as BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole and Société Générale, indicative of a highly concentrated banking sector at the top end.

The total assets held by German lenders in the ranking has reduced over the decade to $4.8tn this year, while assets held by the French institutions has risen to $11.5tn.

Trends identified using The Banker Database, an online database providing comprehensive financial data and insight for 4000 of the world's leading banks in 190 countries. Contact us.