ECB data show EU bank branch network keeps shrinking at end of 2025
European Union banking sector structures continue to shift as lenders streamline physical networks and staffing across much of the bloc. Updated end-2025 indicators also show wide differences in market concentration between Member States, underscoring uneven national banking landscapes.
Highlights
- EU bank offices fell by 2.62% to 122,889 at end-2025, with declines reported in 23 of 27 Member States and 86.13% located in the euro area.
- The number of credit institution employees in the EU declined by 0.80% in 2025, with job losses in 16 countries.
- Banking sector concentration remains uneven, as the five largest credit institutions' asset share ranges nationally from 34.37% to 95.2%, with an EU average of 69.33%.
End-2025 banking indicators update
As reported by the European Central Bank, its annual structural financial indicators dataset for the European Union banking sector has been updated to the end of 2025, covering metrics including the number of credit institution offices, employee counts and banking sector concentration in each Member State.The figures show that the number of bank offices in the EU declines by 2.62%, with decreases recorded in 23 of the 27 countries and national changes ranging from -0.2% to -12.16%. The total number of offices in the bloc stands at 122,889 at the end of 2025, and 86.13% of them are located in the euro area.
During 2025, the number of employees at credit institutions falls in 16 of the 27 Member States, producing an EU-wide decline of 0.80%.
Concentration gaps persist across Member States
The data also show that banking sector concentration continues to differ markedly across the EU when measured by the share of assets held by the five largest credit institutions in each country.At national level, that share ranges from 34.37% to 95.2%, while the EU average reaches 69.33% at the end of 2025. The annual release highlights how consolidation patterns and market structures remain uneven across the region even as branch networks and staffing continue to contract.
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