The total assets of Australian banks are estimated to be over A$5.4 trillion. Commonwealth, ANZ, Westpac and National Australia Bank are the leading domestic banks providing a complete range of retail and corporate banking services. The big four banks have an Aa2 or Aa3 rating from Moody’s and AA- from Standard & Poor's. Only nine of the world’s top 100 banks enjoy a rating of AA or higher. Australia's government has a "four pillars" policy that prevents mergers between the big four banking institutions. The banking regulation in the country is extensive and detailed. It is split between APRA (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) and ASIC (Australian Securities and Investment Commission). APRA, established in 1998, controls the credit unions, banks, building and friendly societies, insurance companies as well as members of the superannuation sector. The superannuation industry is a significant part of financial system, with assets of over $3.8 trillion as of March 2024. Foreign banks are also well represented in the Australian market. The majority of them are focused on commercial banking and capital market activities.

Five Largest Banks

Rank Bank Total assets, A$b Loans, A$b Deposits, A$b Balance Sheet
1 Commonwealth Bank of Australia 1,275.97 926.572 873.299 31.12.2023
2 ANZ Banking Group 1,105.62 707.044 814.711 30.09.2023
3 National Australia Bank 1,059.08 702.700 682.120 30.09.2023
4 Westpac 1,029.77 773.254 688.168 30.09.2023
5 Macquarie Group 394.594 167.495 135.966 30.09.2023

Customer Satisfaction Rating:
Credit Unions: 88.1%
Building Societies: 90.6%
Banks: 74.3%
Major Banks: 78.9%
(Source: Roy Morgan Research)

Five Largest Credit Unions in Australia

Rank Name State Assets (A$m, FY 2018) Deposits (A$m, FY 2018)
1 Credit Union Australia QLD 14,323 9,220
2 People's Choice Credit Union SA 8,391 6,114
3 Queensland Country Credit Union QLD 2,167 1,881
4 Bananacoast Community Credit Union NSW 1,700 1,543
5 Credit Union SA SA 1,065 945,5