The latest "Top 1000 World Banks 2026" ranking has been released. On July 8th, The Banker magazine published its annual list of the world's leading financial institutions. CITIC BANK (ASX: 601998) has advanced to the 16th position globally based on Tier 1 capital, marking a two-place improvement from the previous year.
This prestigious list is a key annual benchmark in global banking, widely regarded as an authoritative measure of a bank's comprehensive strength. The ranking primarily evaluates institutions using critical metrics such as Tier 1 capital.
In 2025, CITIC BANK maintained a robust, balanced, and sustainable high-quality growth trajectory, aligned with its vision of becoming a value-driven bank. The bank's annual report for the year showed net profit exceeding 70 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3%. The non-performing loan ratio decreased to 1.15%, while the provision coverage ratio remained stable above 200%. Total assets surpassed the significant milestone of 10 trillion yuan. Amid a complex and volatile market environment, the bank's share price and market capitalization reached new highs. Its MSCI ESG rating was upgraded two levels from "A" to the top global "AAA" rating. Furthermore, the bank was once again honored with The Banker's "Bank of the Year China" award, further demonstrating its resilience through economic cycles and its continuously advancing overall capabilities.
A total of 158 banks from mainland China featured on this year's list. Industry insiders believe that as the nation's focus on five key financial priorities deepens, Chinese banks are poised to gain a greater competitive edge globally. CITIC BANK has consistently adhered to its core financial mission, prioritizing these five key areas and directing more financial resources toward the central directions of building a modern economic system.
Over the past year, the bank has comprehensively enhanced the quality and efficiency of its services in technology finance, focusing on loan distribution and system development. The balance of technology loans reached 1,072.902 billion yuan, an increase of 14.75%. In green finance, it completed the designation of its first batch of green demonstration and specialized operating institutions and launched the "Xin Tan Tong" green and low-carbon service platform. The balance of green loans exceeded 750 billion yuan, growing by 24.83%, and the underwriting volume of green bonds increased by over 60% year-on-year. For inclusive finance, it focused on people's livelihoods, deeply integrating into the financing coordination mechanism for micro and small enterprises. The balance of inclusive loans to these businesses was 644.306 billion yuan, up 7.42%. In pension finance, it continued to optimize its "financial + non-financial" service system, driving growth in loans to the elderly care industry by over 100%. The scale of corporate annuity custody remained at the forefront among joint-stock banks, and the number of personal pension accounts opened increased by more than 34% from the end of the previous year. In digital finance, it actively built a "digital community" that tightly integrates finance with digital livelihoods and industries. The loan balance for core digital economy industries was 246.782 billion yuan, an increase of 18.92%.
As it embarks on the new journey of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, CITIC BANK has stated it will continue to shoulder its responsibility in serving the real economy. It aims to actively advance the five key financial priorities, leverage the core functions of a state-owned financial enterprise, and effectively balance environmental, social, and economic benefits, striving to be a creator of diverse value. Building on its own strengths, the bank will explore differentiated financial service paths, pursuing excellence in the three key areas of wealth management, comprehensive financing, and investment trading. It also aims to solidify its leading advantages in the three strategic tracks of payment and settlement, cross-border services, and digital intelligence, providing warm financial services to become the preferred and trusted partner for its clients, thereby forging unique value. Through resilient, cycle-spanning operations that balance short-term objectives with long-term development, the bank is committed to creating sustainable, long-term returns for shareholders, acting as a guardian of long-term value.
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