Netherlands
Banking sector profile — Europe
Data as of September 2026 • TGB Intelligence Unit
Policy rate as of 7 October 2026: 2.50% (ECB deposit facility rate; source: European Central Bank)
Banking sector at a glance
Structure and performance
The Dutch banking system is highly concentrated. The five largest credit institutions held 81.3% of sector assets in 2025, according to ECB structural indicators, and three groups dominate: ING, the cooperative Rabobank and ABN AMRO. The ECB lists 86 credit institutions, and branches of banks from other EU member states numbered 45 in 2025 with €196.8bn of assets. Below the big three sit ASN Bank, formerly de Volksbank, with €76.7bn of assets, and public-sector lenders such as NWB Bank, which finances water authorities and housing associations.
Residential mortgages anchor domestic balance sheets. Rabobank was again the country's largest mortgage lender in 2025, while ABN AMRO lifted its share of new mortgage production to 21% in the fourth quarter. ING, the largest group, runs a pan-European retail model built on mobile banking, with mortgage growth in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Australia; it added 377,000 mobile primary customers in the second quarter of 2026. ABN AMRO also runs sizeable wealth management and clearing businesses, with client assets of more than €283bn.
Profitability and capital are solid. ING reported a 2025 net result of €6,327m, a 13.2% return on equity and a 13.1% CET1 ratio. Rabobank earned €4,957m and lifted its CET1 ratio to 20.3% from 16.9%. ABN AMRO reported a 2025 return on equity of 8.7% and raised its CET1 ratio to 15.4%, with fourth-quarter cost of risk of 11bp, and added a further €500m capital distribution. Momentum continued into 2026: ING's return on tangible equity reached 17.0% in the second quarter, and it raised its 2026 outlook to above 15%.
Key risks centre on the housing market, where ABN AMRO expects price growth to moderate in 2026, and on cost pressures: ABN AMRO cut about 1,500 FTEs in 2025 as part of a plan to reduce its workforce by 5,200 by 2028. The rate cycle turned in 2026, with the ECB raising its deposit rate in June and September. ABN AMRO's acquisition of NIBC, which it expected to close in 2026, extends consolidation into the mid-sized segment.
Structural trends
The shifts shaping banking in Netherlands.
Concentration is structurally high: the five largest credit institutions held 81.3% of Dutch banking assets in both 2024 and 2025 (ECB).
EU branches are expanding: branches from other EU member states rose from 41 to 45 in 2025, and their assets from €174.0bn to €196.8bn.
Capital is building: Rabobank's CET1 ratio rose to 20.3% at end-2025 from 16.9%, and ABN AMRO's to 15.4%, allowing additional distributions.
Cost bases are being cut: ABN AMRO reduced headcount by about 1,500 FTEs in 2025 under a plan to cut 5,200 FTEs by 2028.
Leading institutions
Largest banks in Netherlands by total assets.
| # | Bank | Total assets (US$) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ING Group | US$1.24tn | Universal |
| 2 | Rabobank | US$750.5bn | Cooperative |
| 3 | ABN AMRO | US$485.4bn | Universal |
Total assets, FY2025 (31 Dec 2025), consolidated group figures
Supervision and capital rules
ING, Rabobank, ABN AMRO and the other significant institutions are supervised directly by the ECB under the Single Supervisory Mechanism, with DNB supervising less significant banks and the AFM overseeing conduct and financial markets. The EU's CRR3 package, implementing the final Basel III standards, applied from 1 January 2025, with the output floor phased in to 2030; the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book applies from 1 January 2027, with temporary adjustments to 2030 adopted by the European Commission in June 2026. Deposits are covered up to €100,000 per depositor per bank under the EU-harmonised deposit guarantee scheme administered by DNB.
What changed in 2026
- February 2026: ABN AMRO reported a 2025 return on equity of 8.7% and a 15.4% CET1 ratio, announced an extra €500m distribution and guided to closing the NIBC acquisition in 2026.
- June 2026: The ECB raised its deposit facility rate by 25bp to 2.25%, its first increase in three years, citing energy-driven inflation linked to the Middle East conflict.
- July 2026: ING posted a second-quarter net result of €1,947m, raised its 2026 RoTE outlook to above 15% and announced a strategic investment in Spanish wealth manager Singular Bank.
- September 2026: The ECB raised the deposit facility rate again to 2.50%, effective 16 September, as ECB staff projected 2026 euro-area inflation at 3.0%.
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