In 2020, Asia's most important banks were tested not by expansion alone, but by their ability to keep economies functioning under physical disruption. Digital channels became public infrastructure. Capital buffers became social stabilizers. Payment systems, lending relief, deposit confidence, trade finance and remote service capacity became measures of institutional quality. The best banks of 2020 were not simply large; they were trusted operating systems for financial continuity.
2020
Asia's Top Banks 50
A 2020 annual ranking of banks shaping Asian financial trust.
50Banks ranked
99.5Top index score
7Research dimensions
23Market bases
Ranking Introduction
Pandemic Resilience and Digital Trust
InfluenceAsia 50: Asia's Top Banks 2020 identifies the banking institutions that mattered most in a year when the pandemic turned banks into channels of liquidity, trust, payment continuity, borrower relief, digital migration and real-economy stabilization.
The 2020 edition treats banking influence as the capacity to preserve trust while moving capital through stress. The strongest banks did more than defend profit; they sustained deposits, enabled payments, supported households and enterprises, absorbed credit uncertainty, accelerated digital access and maintained the financial connective tissue of Asian economies.
This is not a wealth list, not a traffic list, not an asset-size table, not a credit-rating table and not an advertising award. It is an independent InfluenceAsia research and editorial ranking.
InfluenceAsia prepared this ranking as an original editorial research product. The list, scoring architecture, placement logic, written profiles, annual thesis, methodology and presentation language are controlled by InfluenceAsia. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by the banks, directors, management teams, regulators, shareholders, creditors, depositors, customers, employees, partners or rights holders named or implied.
Licensed commercial banks, universal banks, bank-led financial groups and Asia-critical international banking franchises with demonstrable institutional impact by the 2020 editorial horizon.
Asset size alone is insufficient. InfluenceAsia prioritizes 2020 banking contribution, financial strength, pandemic resilience, digital continuity, franchise quality, cross-border relevance, inclusion, governance durability and the degree to which the bank shaped trust in Asia's financial systems.
Representative Banks
Eight Banks That Define The 2020 Thesis
#01
DBS Bank
Universal and digital bank
DBS Bank leads the 2020 edition because it demonstrated how a major Asian bank could combine digital maturity, balance-sheet caution and customer support during a pandemic shock.
#02
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
State-owned universal bank
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is ranked second for the scale at which it transmitted credit, liquidity and institutional confidence in 2020.
#03
China Construction Bank
State-owned universal bank
China Construction Bank is included for its central position in housing, infrastructure, inclusive finance and corporate support during a difficult year.
#04
Bank of China
State-owned universal bank
Bank of China is ranked for being the most internationally connected Chinese banking institution in the 2020 horizon.
#05
Agricultural Bank of China
State-owned universal bank
Agricultural Bank of China is included for the breadth of its rural and inclusive finance mandate in 2020.
#06
HSBC
Asia-focused international bank
HSBC is ranked for its continued strategic role as a connector between Asian capital, Hong Kong banking, trade corridors and global corporate clients.
#07
MUFG Bank
Japanese megabank
MUFG Bank is included for sustaining a large Japanese and global corporate banking platform during a year of liquidity stress.
#08
State Bank of India
Public-sector universal bank
State Bank of India is ranked for its unmatched reach across households, public priorities, rural finance and digital access in 2020.
Full Ranking
The Full List
Showing 50 banks
| Rank | Leader | Platform | Market Base | Primary Sector | Index | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DBS BankSoutheast Asia / Global | Universal and digital bank | Singapore | Digital & PaymentsDigital banking, wealth, corporate banking, transaction banking and regional services | 99.5 | DBS Bank leads the 2020 edition because it demonstrated how a major Asian bank could combine digital maturity, balance-sheet caution and customer support during a pandemic shock. |
| 2 | Industrial and Commercial Bank of ChinaEast Asia / Global | State-owned universal bank | China | Digital & PaymentsCorporate banking, retail banking, industrial finance and digital finance | 99.2 | Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is ranked second for the scale at which it transmitted credit, liquidity and institutional confidence in 2020. |
| 3 | China Construction BankEast Asia | State-owned universal bank | China | Digital & PaymentsInfrastructure finance, housing finance, inclusive finance and digital services | 98.9 | China Construction Bank is included for its central position in housing, infrastructure, inclusive finance and corporate support during a difficult year. |
| 4 | Bank of ChinaEast Asia / Global | State-owned universal bank | China / Global | Trade & Transaction BankingCross-border banking, trade finance, RMB services and global Chinese client coverage | 98.6 | Bank of China is ranked for being the most internationally connected Chinese banking institution in the 2020 horizon. |
| 5 | Agricultural Bank of ChinaEast Asia | State-owned universal bank | China | Inclusion & Mass BankingRural finance, agriculture, inclusive finance and county-level banking | 98.3 | Agricultural Bank of China is included for the breadth of its rural and inclusive finance mandate in 2020. |
| 6 | HSBCEast Asia / Global | Asia-focused international bank | Hong Kong / Global | Trade & Transaction BankingWealth, trade finance, transaction banking, Hong Kong banking and global connectivity | 98 | HSBC is ranked for its continued strategic role as a connector between Asian capital, Hong Kong banking, trade corridors and global corporate clients. |
| 7 | MUFG BankEast Asia / Global | Japanese megabank | Japan / Global | Trade & Transaction BankingCorporate banking, project finance, transaction banking and global institutional clients | 97.7 | MUFG Bank is included for sustaining a large Japanese and global corporate banking platform during a year of liquidity stress. |
| 8 | State Bank of IndiaSouth Asia | Public-sector universal bank | India | Digital & PaymentsMass banking, deposits, digital public-scale banking, SMEs and rural finance | 97.4 | State Bank of India is ranked for its unmatched reach across households, public priorities, rural finance and digital access in 2020. |
| 9 | HDFC BankSouth Asia | Private universal bank | India | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, deposits, payments, cards, SME banking and digital services | 97.1 | HDFC Bank is included for remaining India's private-sector benchmark in deposits, retail banking and payment relationships in 2020. |
| 10 | China Merchants BankEast Asia | Joint-stock commercial bank | China | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, wealth management, private banking, cards and digital services | 96.8 | China Merchants Bank is ranked for defining the high-quality retail and wealth-management model within Chinese banking. |
| 11 | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking CorporationEast Asia / Global | Japanese megabank | Japan / Global | Trade & Transaction BankingCorporate banking, project finance, global banking and transaction services | 96.5 | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation is included for its depth in Japanese corporate banking and global institutional finance. |
| 12 | Mizuho BankEast Asia / Global | Japanese megabank | Japan / Global | Trade & Transaction BankingCorporate banking, capital markets, transaction banking and Asian client solutions | 96.2 | Mizuho Bank is ranked for its role in serving major corporations, capital-market clients and Japan-linked business corridors in 2020. |
| 13 | Standard CharteredAsia / Global | Emerging-markets and Asia-focused international bank | Singapore / Hong Kong / Global | Trade & Transaction BankingTrade finance, corporate banking, wealth, transaction banking and currencies | 95.9 | Standard Chartered is included for its distinctive position across Asian, African and Middle Eastern banking corridors. |
| 14 | OCBC BankSoutheast Asia / Greater China | Universal bank | Singapore | Wealth & Private BankingConsumer banking, wealth, insurance-linked financial services, SMEs and corporate banking | 95.6 | OCBC Bank is ranked for disciplined regional banking across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Greater China. |
| 15 | United Overseas BankSoutheast Asia | ASEAN universal bank | Singapore | Digital & PaymentsASEAN banking, SMEs, consumer banking, cards, trade finance and digital services | 95.3 | United Overseas Bank is included for its clear ASEAN franchise in a year when regional companies needed local knowledge and cross-border banking continuity. |
| 16 | Bank of CommunicationsEast Asia | State-owned commercial bank | China | Trade & Transaction BankingCorporate banking, retail banking, transport-linked finance and cross-border services | 95 | Bank of Communications is ranked for its national importance and cross-border relevance within China's banking system. |
| 17 | Postal Savings Bank of ChinaEast Asia | Retail and inclusive finance bank | China | Inclusion & Mass BankingMass retail deposits, county banking, microfinance and rural finance | 94.7 | Postal Savings Bank of China is included for one of Asia's broadest retail and inclusive finance footprints. |
| 18 | Bank of China (Hong Kong)East Asia | Hong Kong universal bank | Hong Kong / Greater China | Trade & Transaction BankingRMB services, cross-border banking, trade finance and local Hong Kong banking | 94.4 | Bank of China (Hong Kong) is ranked for its strategic role in Hong Kong's 2020 banking system. |
| 19 | Ping An BankEast Asia | Joint-stock commercial bank | China | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, supply-chain finance, technology-enabled services and wealth | 94.1 | Ping An Bank is included for its technology-adjacent banking model in 2020. |
| 20 | ICICI BankSouth Asia | Private universal bank | India | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, corporate banking, digital services, payments and risk analytics | 93.8 | ICICI Bank is ranked for combining private-sector scale with digital execution and risk discipline in India. |
| 21 | Bank Central AsiaSoutheast Asia | Private commercial bank | Indonesia | Digital & PaymentsPayments, deposits, consumer banking, digital channels and transaction banking | 93.5 | Bank Central Asia is included for setting the quality benchmark in Indonesian private banking. |
| 22 | Bank MandiriSoutheast Asia | State-owned universal bank | Indonesia | Digital & PaymentsCorporate banking, retail banking, wholesale finance, digital banking and merchant services | 93.2 | Bank Mandiri is ranked for its national role in Indonesian corporate finance and banking modernization. |
| 23 | Bank Rakyat IndonesiaSoutheast Asia | State-owned microfinance and universal bank | Indonesia | Inclusion & Mass BankingMicrofinance, MSME banking, rural finance and financial inclusion | 92.9 | Bank Rakyat Indonesia is included for making financial inclusion a large-scale banking institution rather than a social slogan. |
| 24 | MaybankSoutheast Asia | ASEAN universal bank | Malaysia / ASEAN | Islamic BankingConsumer banking, Islamic banking, SME banking, regional banking and digital transactions | 92.6 | Maybank is ranked for remaining Malaysia's most consequential banking platform and a leading ASEAN franchise in 2020. |
| 25 | Bangkok BankSoutheast Asia | Universal and corporate bank | Thailand / ASEAN | Corporate & Institutional BankingCorporate banking, international banking, business finance and regional expansion | 92.3 | Bangkok Bank is included for completing one of the most important Southeast Asian banking expansion moves of the 2020 horizon. |
| 26 | KASIKORNBANKSoutheast Asia | Universal and digital bank | Thailand | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, SME banking, digital services and sustainability-oriented banking | 92 | KASIKORNBANK is ranked for its innovation-oriented Thai banking franchise. |
| 27 | Siam Commercial BankSoutheast Asia | Universal bank | Thailand | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, corporate banking, digital transformation and platform finance | 91.7 | Siam Commercial Bank is included for carrying one of Thailand's strongest legacy banking franchises into a digital transformation cycle. |
| 28 | KB Kookmin BankEast Asia | Retail and universal bank | South Korea | Digital & PaymentsHousehold banking, digital services, deposits, cards and SME banking | 91.4 | KB Kookmin Bank is ranked for its depth in Korean household and retail finance. |
| 29 | Shinhan BankEast Asia | Universal bank | South Korea | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, corporate banking, digital services and global banking | 91.1 | Shinhan Bank is included for a balanced Korean banking franchise with strong digital and customer-protection priorities in 2020. |
| 30 | Hana BankEast Asia / Global | Universal and international bank | South Korea | Trade & Transaction BankingForeign exchange, corporate banking, retail banking and global services | 90.8 | Hana Bank is ranked for its international and foreign-exchange strength in a year of market volatility. |
| 31 | Woori BankEast Asia | Universal bank | South Korea | Digital & PaymentsCorporate banking, retail banking, public-sector banking and digital services | 90.5 | Woori Bank is included for its broad Korean banking role across households, corporations and public-sector relationships. |
| 32 | VietcombankSoutheast Asia | State-linked commercial bank | Vietnam | Trade & Transaction BankingTrade finance, corporate banking, deposits, retail services and Vietnamese financial modernization | 90.2 | Vietcombank is ranked for being one of Vietnam's most important banking institutions in 2020. |
| 33 | BDO UnibankSoutheast Asia | Universal bank | Philippines | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, corporate banking, deposits, remittances and digital services | 89.9 | BDO Unibank is included for its scale and everyday relevance in Philippine banking. |
| 34 | Bank of the Philippine IslandsSoutheast Asia | Universal bank | Philippines | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, corporate banking, wealth, digital services and payments | 89.6 | Bank of the Philippine Islands is ranked for combining trust, heritage and modernization in a difficult year. |
| 35 | Qatar National BankWest Asia / Global | Gulf universal bank | Qatar / Global | Corporate & Institutional BankingCorporate banking, sovereign banking, treasury and international expansion | 89.3 | Qatar National Bank is included for combining Gulf balance-sheet strength with international reach. |
| 36 | First Abu Dhabi BankWest Asia / Global | Gulf universal bank | United Arab Emirates | Digital & PaymentsCorporate banking, sovereign clients, retail banking, digital services and global markets | 89 | First Abu Dhabi Bank is ranked for the strength of its Gulf institutional banking franchise in 2020. |
| 37 | Emirates NBDWest Asia / Global | Gulf universal and digital bank | United Arab Emirates | Islamic BankingRetail banking, corporate banking, wealth, Islamic banking and regional expansion | 88.7 | Emirates NBD is included for its operational resilience, capital strength and digital banking ambition in 2020. |
| 38 | National Commercial BankWest Asia | National champion bank | Saudi Arabia | Islamic BankingRetail banking, wholesale banking, corporate finance, Islamic banking and merger-led scale | 88.4 | National Commercial Bank is ranked for its systemic importance to Saudi banking in 2020. |
| 39 | Al Rajhi BankWest Asia | Islamic bank | Saudi Arabia | Islamic BankingIslamic banking, retail finance, digital banking, payments and consumer lending | 88.1 | Al Rajhi Bank is included for defining Islamic banking at mass-market scale. |
| 40 | Kuwait Finance HouseWest Asia | Islamic bank | Kuwait | Islamic BankingIslamic banking, corporate banking, retail finance and regional Islamic finance | 87.8 | Kuwait Finance House is ranked for its long-standing role in Islamic banking and regional financial confidence. |
| 41 | National Bank of KuwaitWest Asia / Global | Gulf universal bank | Kuwait | Wealth & Private BankingCorporate banking, wealth, treasury, retail banking and regional services | 87.5 | National Bank of Kuwait is included for disciplined Gulf banking and strong institutional trust. |
| 42 | Abu Dhabi Commercial BankWest Asia | Universal bank | United Arab Emirates | Digital & PaymentsCorporate banking, retail banking, integration execution and digital services | 87.2 | Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank is ranked for continuing one of the region's most important post-merger integration stories through the 2020 shock. |
| 43 | CIMB GroupSoutheast Asia | ASEAN universal bank | Malaysia / ASEAN | Islamic BankingConsumer banking, wholesale banking, Islamic finance, transaction banking and regional services | 86.9 | CIMB Group is included for its ASEAN banking identity and wholesale-finance relevance in 2020. |
| 44 | Public Bank BerhadSoutheast Asia | Conservative commercial bank | Malaysia | Wealth & Private BankingRetail banking, SME finance, deposits, hire purchase and wealth services | 86.6 | Public Bank Berhad is ranked for conservative franchise quality in a year that rewarded discipline. |
| 45 | Axis BankSouth Asia | Private universal bank | India | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, corporate banking, digital channels, cards and SME finance | 86.3 | Axis Bank is included for its role in India's competitive private-bank modernization cycle. |
| 46 | Kotak Mahindra BankSouth Asia | Private universal bank | India | Wealth & Private BankingRetail banking, deposits, wealth, SME lending and capital-markets-linked services | 86 | Kotak Mahindra Bank is ranked for high-quality private banking discipline in India. |
| 47 | Hang Seng BankEast Asia | Hong Kong retail and wealth bank | Hong Kong | Wealth & Private BankingRetail banking, wealth, deposits, SMEs and local Hong Kong services | 85.7 | Hang Seng Bank is included for its deep local embeddedness in Hong Kong banking. |
| 48 | TechcombankSoutheast Asia | Private commercial bank | Vietnam | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, transaction banking, wealth, mortgages and digital services | 85.4 | Techcombank is ranked for representing Vietnam's higher-quality private banking momentum in 2020. |
| 49 | Bank LeumiWest Asia | Universal bank | Israel | Digital & PaymentsRetail banking, corporate banking, digital banking and capital-market services | 85.1 | Bank Leumi is included for sustaining one of Israel's most significant banking franchises in 2020. |
| 50 | Turkiye Is BankasiWest Asia / Europe | Private universal bank | Turkey | Digital & PaymentsCorporate banking, retail banking, payments, digital channels and industrial client relationships | 84.8 | Turkiye Is Bankasi completes the 2020 list for its depth in Turkish private-sector banking during a volatile macro year. |
No banks match the current filters.
Methodology
How InfluenceAsia Built The Ranking
Scoring Model
InfluenceAsia uses a 100-point editorial research framework. Scores are comparative indicators within this 2020 edition, not credit ratings, investment recommendations, regulatory ratings, capital adequacy certifications, valuation measures, deposit guarantees, customer-satisfaction scores or moral judgments.
Institution Mapping
InfluenceAsia mapped commercial banks, universal banks, bank-led financial groups and Asia-critical international franchises across East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Asia-linked global banking corridors.
Eligibility Review
Each institution required material Asian relevance through headquarters, operating franchise, client base, ownership, market influence, cross-border role, trade-finance relevance, deposit scale, payments infrastructure or regional banking consequence.
Evaluation Period
The editorial record was assessed through 31 December 2020. Later mergers, later regulatory actions, later recoveries, later credit deterioration, later litigation, later management changes and post-2020 market cycles are not used as ranking evidence in this edition.
| Research Dimension | Weight | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Banking Contribution | 22% | The bank's visible contribution to Asian banking during the 2020 horizon, including customer relief, lending continuity, payment reliability, trade finance, liquidity support and real-economy relevance. |
| Financial Strength And Franchise Quality | 18% | The bank's scale, deposit base, capital position, liquidity, asset quality posture, profitability resilience, client depth and durability of core banking franchise. |
| Pandemic Resilience And Real-Economy Support | 16% | Ability to preserve service, extend relief, absorb provisioning pressure, support SMEs and households, maintain credit channels and contribute to financial stability during pandemic disruption. |
| Digital And Operational Continuity | 14% | Depth of digital banking, mobile adoption, remote servicing, cybersecurity, transaction reliability, branch continuity, technology infrastructure and operating resilience. |
| Regional Connectivity And Trade Relevance | 12% | Role in cross-border banking, trade finance, RMB or currency services, ASEAN corridors, Gulf capital, Japanese corporate networks, Indian payments, Korean export finance or other regional financial flows. |
| Inclusion And Social Value | 10% | Contribution to microfinance, rural banking, financial inclusion, public-scale access, low-income customers, small businesses, payment access, Islamic banking inclusion or household resilience. |
| Governance And Future Durability | 8% | Quality of risk discipline, disclosure posture, governance maturity, conservative provisioning, regulatory credibility, institutional culture and capacity to remain influential beyond the 2020 shock. |
Copyright / Legal
Copyright, Data Notes And Editorial Disclaimer
Copyright
InfluenceAsia 50: Asia's Top Banks 2020 is an original editorial and research ranking prepared under the InfluenceAsia name. The ranking structure, annual thesis, research dimensions, scoring model, written summaries, ordering logic and presentation language are original to this edition. Copyright 2020 InfluenceAsia. All rights reserved. No part of the ranking structure, scoring framework, written profiles, field definitions, annual theme, editorial rationale or publication copy may be reproduced, adapted, distributed, sold, licensed, scraped, republished or used to train derivative ranking products without prior written authorization from InfluenceAsia.
Research Disclaimer
This publication is an editorial research ranking, not an audited financial statement, official regulatory filing, professional investment report, legal opinion, credit rating, deposit guarantee, bank examination, capital adequacy certificate or public-relations endorsement. The ranking reflects InfluenceAsia's 2020 editorial assessment of banking influence using publicly observable records, sector knowledge and comparative research available within the 2020 publication horizon. It does not claim exhaustive access to private bank data, confidential supervisory records, internal stress tests, board materials, non-public loan books or unpublished regulatory materials.
Data Notes
This edition is written from a 2020 publication perspective and deliberately avoids later banking evidence. Public facts should be rechecked before legal, commercial, investor-facing, archival or regulated publication. Banks, markets, legal matters, governance arrangements, credit quality, valuations, liquidity positions and public perceptions may change materially after 2020. Such later developments are outside the scoring basis of this edition.
Advice and Endorsement Limits
Inclusion in the ranking does not constitute endorsement, sponsorship, partnership, customer recommendation, deposit recommendation, investment advice, credit advice, legal advice, financial advice, regulatory approval, account-opening recommendation or official approval by any bank, regulator, shareholder, creditor, employee, customer, depositor or rights holder named or implied. The ranking is not a substitute for securities analysis, bank due diligence, legal review, credit evaluation, governance assessment, regulatory judgment, deposit-risk evaluation, product suitability assessment, AML review, counterparty-risk review or professional financial advice. The ranking is banking business analysis and editorial opinion. It is not investment advice, legal advice, tax advice, credit advice, bank safety certification, financial-product recommendation, professional certification or a definitive measure of capital strength, asset quality, deposit safety, governance quality or future performance.