Largest Banks in the World

The world's ten largest banks are headquartered across Asia, Europe, and America. Which is the biggest bank in the world? And how do U.S. banks compare. Find the answers below.

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• Top 10 World's Largest Banks by Assets
  
• Top 10 World's Largest Banks by Tier 1 Capital
  
• Ten Largest Banks in the U.S.

There are several ways to measure a bank's size. However, financial analysts most often use two categories: number of assets and a metric called "Tier 1 capital" to compare.

In the list below, we've also noted "Return on Assets," which refers to how well the bank generates profit from the assets it owns. This figure is calculated by dividing a bank's net operating profit after tax by its assets. The higher the percentage, the better return the bank generates.

Top 10 World's Largest Banks by Assets

Largest Banks by Assets © CreditDonkey

1. ICBC
   Headquartered in Beijing, the state-owned Industrial & Commercial Bank of China was founded in 1984. It provides banking services to China and more than 40 other countries across six continents.

   The bank — ranked by Forbes as the world's largest public company — services commercial and individual clients.

   Assets: $4.03 trillion
   Return on Assets: 1.08%

2. China Construction Bank Corp.
   Based in Beijing, China Construction Bank Corp provides corporate, commercial, and personal banking services. It is one of the "Big Four" Chinese state-owned state banks that operates in 29 countries and regions.

   As of 2019, China Construction Bank was the world's third-largest public company.

   Assets: $3.38 trillion
   Return on Assets: 1.1%

3. Agricultural Bank of China
   Ranked as the fourth-largest company in the world, the Beijing-based Agricultural Bank of China is the third member of China's state-owned "Big Four" banks.

   With over 300 million retail customers, the bank services a range of international locations from Sydney to Seoul.

   Assets: $3.29 trillion
   Return on Assets: 0.9%

4. Bank of China
   Bank of China, located in Beijing, is the oldest and most international of the Chinese "Big Four" banks.

   It offers insurance, pension, investment banking, and other services to personal, commercial, and corporate clients across six continents. According to Forbes, it is the eighth-largest public company in the world.

   Assets: $3.09
   Return on Assets: 0.9%

5. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group
   Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Mitsubishi UFJ serves over 50 countries and regions around the world. As a retail, commercial, and corporate bank, Mitsubishi UFJ offers a wide range of products and services that include asset management and personal banking.

   Assets: $2.81 trillion
   Return on Assets: 0.31%

6. JP Morgan Chase & Co
   JP Morgan Chase, the first American bank on this list, has clients ranging from individuals to giant corporations in over 100 markets. A leader in investment and commercial banking, this New York City-based bank trades on the New York Stock Exchange. It is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market index.

   Assets: $2.62 trillion
   Return on Assets: 1.24%

7. HSBC Holdings
   Based in London, UK, HSBC serves over 40 million customers across 65 countries through its four business pillars: retail banking and wealth management, commercial banking, global banking and markets, and global private banking.

   Employing over 230,000 people, HSBC trades on the New York, Bermuda, Hong Kong, London, and Paris stock exchanges.

   Assets: $2.56 trillion
   Return on Assets: 0.78%

8. Bank of America
   As the world's eighth largest bank — and second-largest American bank — Bank of America keeps its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. It serves consumer and small business clients in addition to the wealth management, corporate and investment banking, and trading services it provides to corporations and governments.

   With about 66 million clients in over 35 countries, Bank of America was ranked the fifth-largest company in the world by Forbes.

   Assets: $2.35 trillion
   Return on Assets: 1.2%

9. BNP Paribas SA
   BNP Paribas is one of the leading banks in Europe. It has locations in over 72 countries, providing traditional lending and consumer banking as well as investment banking and savings and protection insurance.

   Through its subsidiary Bank of the West, BNP Paribas reaches over 2 million U.S. households.

   Assets: $2.34 trillion
   Return on Assets: 0.39%

10. Crédit Agricole Group S.A.
    The French bank Crédit Agricole has 51 million customers across 47 different countries. A real estate investor, lender, and asset manager, Crédit Agricole serves multinational corporates as well as individuals through 11,000 branches worldwide.

    Assets: $2.12 trillion
    Return on Assets: 0.4%

Top 10 World's Largest Banks by Tier 1 Capital

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Tier 1 capital refers to the core capital funds a bank uses to operate on a daily basis. It's mostly made up of shareholder's equity and retained earnings.

Here are the world's 10 largest banks ranked by tier 1 capital:

Ten Largest Banks in the U.S.

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Bottom Line

China dominates the world's largest banks list, holding the top four spots in both assets and tier 1 capital rankings. In the U.S., JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America are the two largest.