Top 10 largest banks in Europe ranked by assets
Europe is, of course, home to a multitude of heavyweights in the world of banking.
According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, four of the continent's biggest banks are based in France, while three are in the UK.
Here, Business Chief takes a look at the largest banks in Europe ranked by their assets.
10: Lloyds Banking Group PLC
Country: UK
Total assets: €1,055.52bn (US$1121.8bn)
Lloyds' history can be traced back to 1765, when the firm was founded in Birmingham.
It continued to expand over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, taking over several smaller companies to become a banking giant.
Just this week, Lloyds – the UK's largest mortgage lender – said its top performing bankers would share £446m in bonuses, up almost 12% on last year.
09: Intesa Sanpaolo SpA
Country: Italy
Total assets: €1,069bn (US$1,136.12bn)
Italy's only entry on the list, Intesa Sanpaolo takes pride in its "significant" ESG commitment, position on social impact and strong focus on climate matters.
In its 2022-2025 Business Plan, Intesa Sanpaolo pledged to bring its own net emissions down to zero by 2030.
By 2050, this commitment will include loan and investment portfolios, asset management and insurance functions.
Outside Italy, the bank has almost 1,000 branches.
08: Deutsche Bank AG
Country: Germany
Total assets: €1,323.99bn (US$1,407.12bn)
Founded in Berlin way back in 1870, Deutsche Bank bills itself as being shaped by international political and economic developments, as well as the volatile history of Germany.
As a universal bank, the firm has four major divisions in the form of Investment Bank, Corporate Bank, Private Bank and Asset Management.
Deutsche Bank is headquartered in Frankfurt and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange.
07: Société Générale SA
Country: France
Total assets: €1,464.45bn (US$1557.53bn)
The first of four French entries on the list, Société Générale has been a European heavyweight in financial services for more than 150 years.
Today, the firm consists of three main pillars: retail banking within France, international banking and financial services, and corporate and investment banking.
Last year, the Board of Directors decided unanimously to put forward Slawomir Krupa as Société Générale's next CEO, with his appointment to be confirmed at the AGM in May.
06: Groupe BPCE
Country: France
Total assets: €1,516.02bn (US$1,612.38bn)
Groupe BPCE operates in the retail banking fields in France via its group of cooperative banks, Banque Populaire, and subsidiary Banque Palatine.
It also jointly owns Oney Bank alongside the Auchan Group.
Across its various brands, the group has more than 8,000 branches nationwide, serving around 150 million customers.
Groupe BPCE came to be in 2009 following the merger of Groupe Caisse d'Épargne and Groupe Banque Populaire.
05: Banco Santander SA
Country: Spain
Total assets: €1,595.84bn (US$1697.27bn)
The only Spanish entry in the top 10, Santander has in excess of 205,000 employees and 160 million customers across the globe.
Recently, the firm scored the 92.87 in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, the highest in the finance industry and second highest of all the companies analysed.
As of 2021, more than half (54%) of the workforce were women.
04: Barclays PLC
Country: UK
Total assets: €1,648.16bn (US$1,754.41bn)
As a universal bank, Barclays supports consumers and small businesses through its retail banking services, and larger businesses and institutions through its corporate and investment banking function.
The firm has continuously battled over the years with Lloyds Bank to be the second-largest bank in the UK by revenue, after HSBC.
In 2022, Barclays had a group attributable profit of €5.67bn (US$6.04bn).
03: Crédit Agricole Group
Country: France
Total assets: €2,351.61bn (US$2,503.2bn)
Another French entry on the list, Crédit Agricole Group is the top-ranking retail bank in the European Union.
The firm has 53 million retail customers in France alone, and managed to bring on board 1.9 million new customers in France, Italy and Poland in 2022.
Commenting on the firm's 2022 performance, Philippe Brassac, CEO of Crédit Agricole SA, said performance had been "strong and solid results in a context of shocks and adaptation". Income was €5.5bn, up 1.3% on 2021.
02: BNP Paribas SA
Country: France
Total assets: €2,554.2bn (US$2,718.85bn)
BNP Paribas was established back in 2000 following the merger of Banque Nationale de Paris and Paribas.
It has since become the biggest bank in the European Union, with close to 190,000 employees across the globe.
On European soil, BNP Paribas serves Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg, employing 145,000 people.
The bank's latest revenue was measured at €50.4bn (US$53.65bn).
01: HSBC Holdings PLC
Country: UK
Total assets: €2,597.14bn (US$2,763.25bn)
HSBC remains one of the world's biggest banking and financial services organisations – and the largest in Europe.
Today, the firm serves around 40 millions customers through its three business divisions: Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking & Markets.
Listed on the London, Hong Kong, New York and Bermuda stock exchanges, shares in HSBC Holdings PLC are held by more than 180,000 shareholders in 128 different countries and territories.
