The ECB publishes consolidated data on EU banking as of the end of March: total assets rise to €34.33 trillion and non-performing loans slightly increase to 1.98%.
The European banking sector continues to grow. According to the consolidated data published by the European Central Bank (ECB) this Friday, the total assets of institutions based in the European Union reached €34.33 trillion in March 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.63%.
A year ago, this figure stood at €33.13 trillion. The ECB compiles this quarterly report based on data from 335 banking groups and 2,284 independent credit institutions, as well as subsidiaries and branches of non-EU entities operating in the EU, which represent nearly 100% of the sector's balance sheet.
The report also reflects a slight uptick in non-performing loans. The aggregated rate of doubtful loans rose by two basis points year-on-year, reaching 1.98% in March 2026, a figure that remains low in historical perspective.
The return on equity (ROE) for European entities was 2.44% in the first quarter of this year, while the common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio reached 16.27%, indicating robust solvency levels.
The ECB reminds us that quarterly data provides key information for analysing the sector, with indicators on profitability, efficiency, balance sheet composition, liquidity, funding, asset quality, asset burden, capital adequacy, and solvency.
Regarding methodology, most entities apply International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the technical standards of the European Banking Authority, although some small and medium-sized entities use national accounting standards, which may affect the aggregates.
The ECB has also included some revisions of historical data in this publication. Additionally, due to the lack of data from Denmark for the first quarter of 2026, data from the fourth quarter of 2025 has been used as an approximation for stock aggregates and data from the first quarter of 2025 for flows.
The evolution of assets and non-performing loans will be closely monitored by analysts and supervisors, in a context where the sector faces challenges such as digitalisation, pressure on margins, and regulatory scrutiny. For investors or banking customers, this data confirms that the system remains well-capitalised and with contained default levels, although the upward trend in non-performing loans warrants vigilance.
Complete data is available on the ECB's data portal, where the evolution of each indicator can be consulted by country and entity.
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