Global Finance has announced its 35th annual ranking of the World’s Safest Banks for 2026.
The full list of the 100 Safest Banks in the World is included here and will be published in the November print and digital editions, and at GFMag.com.
European banks dominate Global Finance’s rankings once again in 2026, taking the top 12 positions, 17 of the top 25, and more than half of the top 50. Germany’s KfW is #1 for the 17th year in a row.
A total of 28 countries, territories, and districts made the top 100 for 2026. France landed the most with 10 ranked banks, followed by Germany, South Korea, and the United States with eight, and Canada with seven.
“In a period of continued economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension and rapid change across the financial sector, strength, stability and disciplined risk management remain critical measures of banking excellence. Global Finance’s World’s Safest Banks 2026 recognizes the institutions that have demonstrated the financial strength and long-term resilience needed to navigate emerging risks and provide confidence to customers and markets,” said Joseph Giarraputo, founder and editorial director of Global Finance.
Global Finance’s annual rankings of the World’s Safest Banks have been the recognized and trusted standard of financial counterparty safety for more than three decades. Winners were selected through an evaluation of long-term foreign currency ratings of the 500 largest banks worldwide from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch.
In addition to the 100 Safest Banks in the World, the full report also includes the following: World’s 50 Safest Commercial Banks; Safest Banks by Country, Territory, and District; 50 Safest Banks in Emerging Markets; Safest Islamic Financial Institutions in the GCC; and Safest Banks by Region (Africa, Asia, Australasia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Western Europe).
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For editorial information please contact: Denise Bedell – dbedell@gfmag.com
Ratings current as of: August 27, 2026 / Press Release Date: October 6, 2026
About Global Finance
Global Finance, founded in 1987, has a circulation of 50,000 readers in 196 countries, territories, and districts. Global Finance’s audience includes senior corporate and financial officers responsible for making investment and strategic decisions at multinational companies and financial institutions. Its website — GFMag.com — offers analysis and articles that are the legacy of 39 years of experience in international financial markets. Global Finance is headquartered in New York, with offices around the world. Global Finance regularly selects the top performers among banks and other providers of financial services. These awards have become a trusted standard of excellence for the global financial community.
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