Nigeria: Bank capital to assets ratio (%)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Nigeria's bank capital to assets ratio (%) fell 0.65 percentage points on 2024 (from 5.2% to 4.55%).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2024), the average change was −0.62 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.42 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 rise was 9.13 percentage points in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 13.88 percentage points in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.64 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 80% 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 1.85% for 2028. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2023 to 2025 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.55%, against 1.04% 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

In 2025, Nigeria had the 81st highest value of the 81 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Nigeria in the 2025 ranking

• Denmark — 77th of 81: 5.32%
• Pakistan — 78th of 81: 5.21%
• Canada — 79th of 81: 4.86%
• Macao SAR, China — 81st of 81: 3.74%

What this measures

The indicator is a measure of capital adequacy that evaluates the financial strength of deposit takers by comparing Tier 1 capital to total assets. Tier 1 capital, often referred to as core capital, includes the most stable and readily available forms of capital, such as common equity, disclosed reserves, retained earnings, and certain other instruments that meet regulatory requirements under the Basel framework. This capital is considered the highest quality because it is fully available to cover losses and does not need to be repaid.

Limitations: Reporting countries compile the data using different methodologies, which may also vary for different points in time for the same country. Users are advised to consult the accompanying metadata on the IMF FSI website (data.imf.org) to conduct more meaningful cross-country comparisons or to assess the evolution of the indicator for any of the countries.

All 19 values

Bank capital to assets ratio (%) in nearby economies

• Angola — 11.95% (2024)
• Botswana — 9.48% (2025)
• Cameroon — 6.65% (2023)
• Central African Republic — 11.12% (2023)
• Chad — -1.04% (2023)
• Comoros — 8.85% (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 8.86% (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea — -6.4% (2023)
• Eswatini — 11.4% (2025)
• Gabon — 8.59% (2023)
• Gambia, The

More financial sector data for Nigeria

• Broad money (current LCU) — 126.82 trillion (2025)
• Broad money (% of GDP) — 28.72% (2025)
• Broad money to total reserves ratio — 1.81 (2025)
• Consumer price index (2010 = 100) — 860.32 (2025)
• Inflation, consumer prices (annual % growth) — 23.01% (2025)
• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 194.92 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$1,518 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$1,518 (2025)
• Broad money (annual % growth) — 11.87% (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth)

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 Nigeria's bank capital to assets ratio (%)?

4.55% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2007?

It is down 11.11 percentage points from 15.66% in 2007. The highest value was 17.95% in 2008 and the lowest 1.49% in 2010.

How does Nigeria rank?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FB.BNK.CAPA.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Financial Soundness Indicators, International Monetary Fund (IMF), uri: https://data.imf.org/en/datasets/IMF:EXTERNAL_DATASET_CARDS/IMF.STA:LFSI 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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