Bank branches were once a staple of every high street and a necessity for most financial transactions. However, as people are increasingly moving their current accounts online, bank branches have been disappearing from the high streets of the UK at a rapid pace. Many people open, switch and manage their current account online these days. We look at the latest UK bank branch statistics.
In 2025, 4,302 bank branches were open in the UK (not including building societies). This was down 62% from the 11,355 branches open in 2012.
| Year | Bank branches | Number closed |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 11,355 | 20 |
| 2013 | 11,335 | 375 |
| 2014 | 10,960 | 215 |
| 2015 | 10,745 | 405 |
| 2016 | 10,340 | 650 |
| 2017 | 9,690 | 600 |
| 2018 | 9,090 | 565 |
| 2019 | 8,525 | 850 |
| 2020 | 7,675 | 710 |
| 2021 | 6,965 | 660 |
| 2022 | 6,305 | 1,205 |
| 2023 | 5,100 | 798 |
| 2025 | 4302 | -- |
Nationwide Building Society now has the most branches in the UK at 696 (including the Virgin Money branches it acquired), overtaking Lloyds Banking Group in June 2026, which now has 666 branches (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland). NatWest Group has 345 branches, while HSBC has 327 branches.
Other branches are operating smaller networks in the UK – Santander has 248 branches, Barclays has 206 branches, TSB Bank has 175 and Co-op Bank has just over 100 (including Coventry Building Society).
Many of these banking groups now include multiple banks, so the total counts include their different subsidiaries.
| Bank | Number of branches |
|---|---|
| Nationwide Building Society | 696 |
| Lloyds Banking Group | 666 |
| NatWest Group | 336 |
| HSBC | 327 |
| Santander | 248 |
| Barclays | 206 |
| TSB | 175 |
| The Co-operative Bank | 100 |
Since January 2015, it is estimated that 6,795 bank and building society branches have closed. The most closures came from NatWest Group with 1,553, followed by Lloyds Banking Group which had 1,547 closures.
"When I found out that the branch was being closed, it was really frustrating, to say the least. It has made sure it’s harder for me to access actual face-to-face support. It’s meant that if I have a problem, I have to call or use my mobile banking app to access support.
There was no support offered or in place. To be honest, there wasn’t very much warning either, and it was only by chance that I discovered it was closing. No information was sent out or even uploaded onto the mobile app."
Finder’s 2026 survey found that 1 in 5 Brits (21%) would not consider opening a digital-only bank account, preferring traditional banks. A third of that group (34%) said preferring to speak to someone in person and use in-branch services was the reason they wouldn’t open a digital-only bank account. This means around 3.9 million UK adults still rely on having a physical bank branch and in-person interaction.
Matt Mckenna
UK Head of Communications
T: +44 20 8191 8806
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