Hong Kong

Hong Kong is an international banking centre whose balance sheets far exceed the domestic economy. Authorized institutions held HK$33.4tn of assets at end-July 2026, roughly ten times GDP. Of the 174 authorized institutions in August 2026, 147 were licensed banks – 115 of them incorporated outside Hong Kong – alongside 16 restricted licence banks and 11 deposit-taking companies. Customer deposits of HK$20.6tn exceeded loans of HK$10.8tn, a loan-to-deposit ratio of about 53%, and 58% of deposits were denominated in foreign currencies.