Bank concentration in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Bank concentration was 42.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Bank concentration in United Kingdom, 2000–2021
Source: Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, bank concentration in United Kingdom stood at 42.9%.
The figure is down 5.2% on the previous year and down 25.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, bank concentration in United Kingdom peaked at 68.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 33.8%, in 2003.
That places United Kingdom 158th out of 170 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Bank concentration in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.9% | — |
| 2001 | 35.9% | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 36.5% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 33.8% | -7.2% |
| 2004 | 68.2% | +101.5% |
| 2005 | 50.5% | -26.0% |
| 2006 | 52.3% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 59.4% | +13.5% |
| 2008 | 63.0% | +6.2% |
| 2009 | 57.0% | -9.5% |
| 2010 | 56.8% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 57.4% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 54.9% | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 51.6% | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 55.1% | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 57.9% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 57.9% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 58.2% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 45.0% | -22.7% |
| 2019 | 44.8% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 45.3% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 42.9% | -5.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 42.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 73.1%, 59% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 42.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 68.9%, 62% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Bank concentration in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +101.5% | 33.8% | 68.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 49.0% | 33.8% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.0% | 44.8% | 58.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.1% | 42.9% | 45.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More financial sector data for United Kingdom
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 10.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 104.99 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 76.66 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 10.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 104.99 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is bank concentration in United Kingdom?
- Bank concentration in United Kingdom was 42.9% in 2021, according to Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD).
- What is the highest bank concentration recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 68.2% in 2004.
- What is the lowest bank concentration recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.8% in 2003.
- How does United Kingdom rank for bank concentration?
- United Kingdom ranks 158th out of 170 countries with data for 2021.
- Is bank concentration rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD), published as part of Bank concentration (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Raw data are from Bankscope. (Sum(data2025) for three largest banks in Bankscope) / (Sum(data2025) for all banks in Bankscope). Only reported if number of banks in Bankscope is 3 or more. Calculated from underlying bank-by-bank unconsolidated data from Bankscope.