Bundesbank reports
Number of bank branches shrinks faster
The path to the next bank branch continues: Last year, numerous branches of the banks and savings banks were closed again. This also has to do with the behavior of customers.
At the banks and savings banks in Germany, the branch death continues at increased speed. Last year, the number of branches decreased by 1,631 (8.4 percent) to 17,870 locations, as reported by the Bundesbank. In the previous year, the decline had around 5 percent and in 2022 it was six percent. The reasons are the increasingly used online banking and the weak yield situation of individual banks in the low interest rate phase. That is why the personnel -intensive branch business is painted together.
Large banks close locations
According to the Bundesbank, the large banks in particular made many locations tight. They accounted for 1,280 closed branches, while only 178 branches were eliminated at the savings banks. The cooperative institutes withdrew from 186 locations.
With 6,926 branches and a share of 38.8 percent, the savings banks of the nationwide largest branch providers remain in front of the cooperative folk and Raiffeisen banks with 6,402 units. At the end of 2024, the large banks had only 3292 branches, including the Postbank taken over by Deutsche Bank.
Fusions with the comrades
The number of credit institutions is also declining. Here the Bundesbank still counted 1,368 units at the end of the year. That was net 35 less than a year earlier. This includes 25 cooperative banks that are merged with partners. The 45 departures faced ten entrances. This is essentially foreign banks that have founded a presence in Germany.
dpa
Source: Stern
