Belgium: Commercial bank branches (per 100,000 adults)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Belgium's commercial bank branches (per 100,000 adults) fell 2.76 on 2022 (from 21.15 to 18.39).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2005 to 2022), the average change was −2.01 and a typical year strayed about 0.9 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly fall was 3.53 in 2005. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 2.5 a year. A straight line explains 99% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 12.59 for 2026. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2021 to 2023 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 3.95, against 5.39 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Belgium in the 2023 ranking

• Ethiopia — 2nd of 6: 14.26
• United Arab Emirates — 3rd of 6: 7.09
• Germany — 4th of 6: 6.66

What this measures

Commercial bank branches are retail locations of resident commercial banks and other resident banks that function as commercial banks that provide financial services to customers and are physically separated from the main office but not organized as legally separated subsidiaries.

Limitations: Population-based ratios of the number of branches and ATMs assume a uniform distribution of bank outlets within a country's area and across its population, while in most countries bank branches and ATMs are concentrated in urban centers of the country and are accessible only to some individuals.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 20 values

Commercial bank branches (per 100,000 adults) in nearby economies

• Albania — 17.98 (2024)
• Armenia — 22.69 (2024)
• Austria — 10.89 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 6.36 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 29.25 (2024)
• Bulgaria — 93.84 (2024)
• Croatia — 24.16 (2024)
• Cyprus — 18.51 (2024)
• Czechia — 14.63 (2024)
• Denmark — 16.63 (2024)

More financial sector data for Belgium

• Consumer price index (2010 = 100) — 145.67 (2025)
• Inflation, consumer prices (annual % growth) — 2.47% (2025)
• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 120.8 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$0.88 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$0.88 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 2.56% (2025)
• Real effective exchange rate index (2010 = 100) — 105.38 (2025)
• Market capitalization of listed domestic companies (current US$) — US$321.09 billion (2018)
• Market capitalization of listed domestic companies (% of GDP) — 59.17% (2018)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Belgium's commercial bank branches (per 100,000 adults)?

18.39 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2004?

It is down 67.89% from 57.29 in 2004 (5.8% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 57.29 in 2004 and the lowest 18.39 in 2023.

Is the latest change in commercial bank branches (per 100,000 adults) unusual for Belgium?

In 2023, Belgium's commercial bank branches (per 100,000 adults) fell 2.76 on 2022 (from 21.15 to 18.39). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2005 to 2022), the average change was −2.01 and a typical year strayed about 0.9 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FB.CBK.BRCH.P5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Financial Access Survey, International Monetary Fund (IMF), uri: https://data.imf.org/en/datasets/IMF.STA:FAS Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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