We’ve gathered the latest banking statistics on the biggest and best banks in the UK, along with carrying out our own research revealing how often people are switching their accounts.
The most popular banking group in the UK is Lloyds, with approximately 28 million Brits choosing Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland or another of its subsidiaries. Nationwide (now including Virgin Money) comes in second with around 24.5 million customers, followed by Barclays and NatWest Group (including RBS and Ulster Bank) with over 20 million customers. HSBC group (including first direct and M&S Bank) rounds out the top five with 15.3 million customers.
Mergers mean that multiple banks now fall under one banking group name in certain cases, meaning they have a higher number of customers. Some of these banks also have a bigger global presence, meaning they have a higher number of customers worldwide.
| Bank | Number of UK customers |
|---|---|
| Lloyds Banking Group | 28 million |
| Nationwide | 24.5 million |
| Barclays | 20 million |
| NatWest Group | 20 million |
| HSBC | 15.3 million |
HSBC has the largest market cap out of all UK banks by far, at approximately £234.65 billion in May 2026. This is more than 3 times larger than Barclays, the second largest UK bank by market cap at £60.22 billion. Lloyds is in third place with £58.71 billion, followed closely by Natwest (£46.67 billion) and Standard Chartered Bank (£42.19 billion).
| Bank | Market cap |
|---|---|
| HSBC | £234.65 billion |
| Barclays | £60.22 billion |
| Lloyds Banking Group | £58.71 billion |
| NatWest Group | £46.67 billion |
| Standard Chartered | £42.19 billion |
HSBC had the highest net profit among UK banks by far in 2025, generating £23.5 billion. This is largely due to its major global footprint. Barclays came second with £9.14 billion, followed by NatWest Group with £7.71 billion, Lloyds Banking Group with £6.7 billion and Standard Chartered with approximately £5.5 billion.
| Bank | Reported pre-tax profit |
|---|---|
| HSBC | £23.5 billion |
| Barclays | £9.14 billion |
| NatWest Group | £7.71 billion |
| Lloyds Banking Group | £6.7 billion |
| Standard Chartered | £5.5 billion |
We surveyed Brits and discovered that less than half (46%) have ever switched their current account, while less than a quarter of Brits (24%) have switched banks to take advantage of a switching offer.
Although traditional UK banks tend to have a higher market share and number of customers, digital challenger banks seem to outperform them when it comes to customer satisfaction.
In the 2026 Finder Customer Satisfaction Award for current accounts, first direct, Starling, Revolut and Chase topped the table – 97% of the people we surveyed said they would recommend these banks to a friend. For more details head over to our best banks in the UK guide.
| Bank | Rating |
|---|---|
| first direct | 97% |
| Starling | 97% |
| Revolut | 97% |
| Chase | 97% |
| NatWest | 95% |
| HSBC | 94% |
| Monzo | 93% |
| iFAST Global Bank | 93% |
| Lloyds Bank | 93% |
| Barclays | 92% |
| Nationwide | 91% |
| TSB | 90% |
| RBS | 90% |
| Santander | 90% |
| Metro Bank | 87% |
| Biscuit by Zopa | 87% |
| Kroo | 87% |
| Halifax | 86% |
| Bank of Scotland | 80% |
| Virgin Money | 77% |
| The Co-operative Bank | 77% |
| Monese | 77% |
Finder commissioned Censuswide to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+ asking ‘Have you ever switched a current account before?’. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain between 23.08.2024 – 27.08.2024, with representative quotas for gender, age and region. Censuswide follows the MRS Code of Conduct, ESOMAR principles, and is a member of the British Polling Council.
Sophie Barber
Communications Manager
Discover who can pay money in at the Post Office, how you do this and whether your bank is supported at Post Office Everyday Banking.
We’ve analysed data on the average price of a pint of a coffee in the most populated cities around the world and across the UK.
Compare the cost of living in cities around the UK and discover the salary you would need to rent a 1-bedroom flat in each location.
The Bank of England (BoE) sets the official bank rate 8 times per year. Here at the latest base rate predictions, including expert analysis.
We look at the latest bank branch statistics, including the number of branches in the UK and how many from each major bank are closing.
Our analysis shows how much UK residents have left after paying for food and rent. Which are the best and worst cities for disposable income?
The average Brit spends £607 a year on subscription services – but which are the most popular and how is the market growing?
Digital-only banks are becoming increasingly popular so we look at the latest digital and online banking statistics in the UK.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme protects customers’ money if their bank or building society fails. But how does it work and are you covered?
