On December 1, Beijing Frontier Institute of Regulation and Supervision Technology (FIRST), along with its eco-partners Zhejiang University International Business School (ZIBS), Academy of Internet Finance (AIF), and Institute of Finance Research (IFR), officially launched the "Bank Internationalization Index 2024" Developed with systematic, scientific, and adaptable principles, the index assesses the global reach of over 100 banks across key dimensions—overseas assets, revenue, and network. It provides valuable insights into the trends of banking internationalization amidst global changes.

The theme of this release is "Divergence in Internationalization: Global, Regional or Local? "

This report outlines and summarizes the following five key characteristics of the bank internationalization landscape and trends:

Ⅰ Banks from developed countries lead in internationalization, while banks from developing countries are actively catching up.

Ⅱ The internationalization of global banks shows different trends.

Ⅲ Banks from developed countries have slowed their internationalization, shifting towards localization or regionalization．

Ⅳ Banks from developing countries have increased their internationalization levels, with globalization or synergetic development as the main path.

Ⅴ Chinese banks have performed well in internationalization, with continued overseas expansion and leading business scale, though their overseas share still has room for growth.

The specific viewpoints of this report are as follows:

 •  Global Landscape: Banks in Developed Countries Maintain a Leading Position, while Banks from Developing Countries are Actively Catching Up.

 •  Different Trends: Banks in Developed Countries Have Contracted, while Banks in Developing Countries Have Seen Expansion Following a Shrinkage Period.

 •  The Four Main Pathways: Diversified Options for International Contraction and Expansion.

Ⅰ Localization Path: This pathway suggests that banks place more emphasis on domestic operations rather than international markets. It is characterized by a noticeable reduction in the number of countries or regions where the bank has investments or operations, along with a significant contraction in overseas business.

Ⅱ Regionalization Path: This pathway indicates that banks focus on and consolidate their core overseas markets. Specifically, it involves a decrease in the number of countries or regions where the bank has investments or operations while maintaining an expansion of overseas business.

Ⅲ Globalization Path: This pathway reflects banks are actively expanding into overseas markets, with the growth rate of international business significantly outpacing the growth of domestic operations. It is characterized by a continuous increase in the number of countries or regions where the bank has investments or operations, along with notable growth in overseas business.

Ⅳ Synergistic Path: This pathway means that both domestic and international operations of banks grow rapidly. It is characterized by a continuous increase in the number of countries or regions where the bank has investments or operations, with overseas business expanding steadily, while domestic business also experiences rapid growth.

 •  2024 Largest Banks by Overseas Assets: Led by Banks in Developed Countries, with Notable Performances from Some Banks in Developing Countries.

 •  2024 Largest Banks by Overseas Revenue: European Banks Hold a Clear Advantage, While U.S. Financial Institutions Generally Perform Better in Overseas Operations.