List of banks in Belgium: Difference between revisions

The following list of banks in Belgium is to be understood within the framework of the European single market and European banking union, which means that the Belgian banking system is more open to cross-border banking operations than peers outside of the EU.

European banking supervision distinguishes between significant institutions (SIs) and less significant institutions (LSIs), with SI/LSI designations updated regularly by the European Central Bank (ECB). Significant institutions are directly supervised by the ECB using joint supervisory teams that involve the national competent authorities (NCAs) of individual participating countries. Less significant institutions are supervised by the relevant NCA on a day-to-day basis, under the supervisory oversight of the ECB.^[1] In Belgium’s case, the NCA is the National Bank of Belgium.^[2]

As of 1 September 2025, the list of supervised institutions maintained by the ECB included the following five Belgian banking groups as SIs, with names as indicated by the ECB for each group’s consolidating entity:^[3]

In addition to these, other euro-area-based banking groups have significant operations in the country. A study published in 2024 assessed that the largest bank by assets in Belgium (as opposed to total consolidated assets) at end-2023 was BNP Paribas (€374 billion, via BNP Paribas Fortis and Fintro [fr]), followed by KBC (€225 billion), Belfius (€179 billion), ING Group (€128 billion), Argenta (€60 billion), Crelan (€54 billion), BNY (€40 billion), and Crédit Mutuel (€10 billion, via Beobank).^{[4]: 27–29} BPCE and Crédit Agricole are also present via their respective acquisitions of Banque Nagelmackers and Degroof Petercam in 2024. This list does not include Euroclear Bank, whose balance sheet grew rapidly to more than €200 billion as a consequence of the European Union sanctions against Russia which were introduced in late February 2022.

As of 1 September 2025, the ECB’s list of supervised institutions included 18 Belgian LSIs. Of these, the following three were designated by the ECB as “high-impact” on the basis of several criteria including size:^[3]

Two additional entities owned by Euroclear Holding SA/NV, international central securities depository Euroclear Bank and intermediate holding company Euroclear SA, meet the criteria for SI designation but have been classified by the ECB as LSIs by special derogation, together with a handful of other financial market infrastructures.^[3]

The other 12 Belgian LSIs were:

The National Bank of Belgium is half-owned by the Belgian government and does not hold a banking license under EU law.

A number of former Belgian banks, defined as having been headquartered in the present-day territory of Belgium, are documented on Wikipedia. They are listed below in chronological order of establishment.