{"id":186,"date":"2022-03-13T04:25:33","date_gmt":"2022-03-13T04:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bolivianexperts.com\/?p=186"},"modified":"2025-02-14T19:15:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T23:15:00","slug":"which-are-the-largest-banks-in-bolivia-all-the-details-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casasenbolivia.com\/aboutbolivia\/which-are-the-largest-banks-in-bolivia-all-the-details-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Which are the Largest Banks in Bolivia? All the Details & Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 8<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

In Bolivia, you’ll find that 12 major banks offer a wide range of services and dominate the country’s financial market. Furthermore, 11 of these 12 banks are ranked among the 250 largest banks in South America. Each of these large Bolivian banks has total assets ranging from $1 billion to $5 billion, which is roughly 500 times smaller than the largest banks in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The largest bank in Bolivia is the Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank, which also ranks as the 96th largest bank in South America. This bank has assets of $5.22 billion, an annual income of $27.9 million, 180 branches, and 440 ATMs. The second and third largest banks are Union Bank and BNB Bank, respectively.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article about Bolivia’s largest banks, we’ll provide comprehensive details about these institutions, including their history, key financial and size metrics, and our assessment of the services they offer. You’ll also learn about the five largest banks in our country and the largest banks by category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Largest Bank in Bolivia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the specialized South American financial magazine “America Economia” (see the full report here: in Spanish<\/a>, or translated<\/a>), as of 2020, the largest bank in Bolivia is the Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank<\/strong> (Banco Mercantil Santa Cruz). This bank holds the 96th position in the ranking of the 250 largest banks in South America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bank was also rated as the 2nd best bank in Bolivia in 2021<\/em> according to the CAMELS rating system (see the full report here: in Spanish<\/a>, or translated<\/a>), an international banking rating system that assesses a bank’s financial strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a relatively new bank formed through the merger of *two pre-existing banks* that operated in Bolivia for many years. The initial merger occurred in 2007, combining Santa Cruz Bank and Mercantile Bank. Later, in 2015, this merged bank absorbed another bank called Los Andes Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank has risen in size among other South American banks, climbing from the 165th position in 2013 to the 96th position in 2020, primarily due to its absorption of Los Andes Bank. It’s also publicly traded on the Bolivian stock exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bank has the following key financial metrics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assets:<\/strong> $5.219 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liabilities:<\/strong> $4.929 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equity:<\/strong> $289.6 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Annual Income:<\/strong> $27.9 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loan Portfolio:<\/strong> $3.483 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savings Deposits:<\/strong> $3.820 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Branches nationwide: >180<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATMs nationwide: 505<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do We as Bolivians Think of the Largest Bank in Our Country?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Based on our experience, we’ve found that this bank offers reliable services *and has slightly lower transaction fees compared to other banks*. It also provides enhanced security when withdrawing money from a branch, as it requires multiple security measures simultaneously, such as fingerprint scanning along with your ID and debit card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, this bank’s branches are often less crowded, allowing for quicker service. However, beyond these advantages, we haven’t found this bank to be significantly superior to other banks in the country. It offers similar interest rates for various types of loans and savings accounts, and the number of available ATMs isn’t substantially higher than that of other banks. Moreover, its smartphone app isn’t the most user-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 5 Largest Banks in Bolivia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the same “America Economia” ranking (full report: in Spanish<\/a>, or translated<\/a>), the five largest banks in Bolivia as of 2020 are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank (96th position).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Union Bank (117th position).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. BNB Bank (121st position).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Bisa Bank (142nd position).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Credit Bank (150th position).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    Ranking (Largest)<\/strong><\/td>Bank Name<\/strong><\/td>Assets (Millions)<\/strong><\/td>Liabilities (Millions)<\/strong><\/td>Equity (Millions)<\/strong><\/td>Annual Income (Millions)<\/strong><\/td>Loan Portfolio (Millions)<\/strong><\/td>Savings Deposits (Millions)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
    1<\/strong><\/td>Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank<\/td>$5,219<\/td>$4,929.4<\/td>$289.6<\/td>$27.9<\/td>$3,483.3<\/td>$3,820.9<\/td><\/tr>
    2<\/strong><\/td>Union Bank<\/td>$4,181.5<\/td>$3,869.1<\/td>$312.4<\/td>$35.8<\/td>$2,587.4<\/td>$2,762.8<\/td><\/tr>
    3<\/strong><\/td>BNB Bank<\/td>$3,846.5<\/td>$3,589.6<\/td>$256.4<\/td>$33.5<\/td>$2,653.6<\/td>$2,786.3<\/td><\/tr>
    4<\/strong><\/td>Bisa Bank<\/td>$3,296.5<\/td>$3,067<\/td>$229.5<\/td>$31.1<\/td>$2,173.7<\/td>$2,487.2<\/td><\/tr>
    5<\/strong><\/td>Credit Bank<\/td>$2,959.4<\/td>$2,751.7<\/td>$207.7<\/td>$29.7<\/td>$2,134.9<\/td>$2,277.7<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
    The largest banks in Bolivia, by total assets.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    1) Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As mentioned in the previous section, the Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank<\/a> (Banco Mercantil Santa Cruz) is the largest in Bolivia, and it has held this position since the America Economia ranking began tracking bank sizes in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Mercantile
    Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank main branch, in El Prado, La Paz, Bolivia.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    The Mercantile Santa Cruz Bank has the following key financial metrics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Assets:<\/strong> $5.219 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Liabilities:<\/strong> $4.929 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Equity:<\/strong> $289.6 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Annual Income:<\/strong> $27.9 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Loan Portfolio:<\/strong> $3.483 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Savings Deposits:<\/strong> $3.820 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Branches nationwide: >180<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ATMs nationwide: 505<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2) Union Bank<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Union Bank<\/a> (Banco Union) is a state-owned bank belonging to the Bolivian government. It primarily serves both private and public clients and is heavily involved in social lending and public projects typically undertaken by the Bolivian government.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Union
    Union Bank main branch, in San Miguel, La Paz, Bolivia.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Union Bank has the following key financial metrics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Assets:<\/strong> $4.181 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Liabilities:<\/strong> $3.869 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Equity:<\/strong> $312.4 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Annual Income:<\/strong> $35.8 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Loan Portfolio:<\/strong> $2.587 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Savings Deposits:<\/strong> $2.762 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Branches nationwide: 219<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ATMs nationwide: 412<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3) BNB Bank<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The BNB Bank<\/a> (Banco Nacional de Bolivia BNB) is also ranked as the best bank in Bolivia<\/em> according to the CAMELS banking rating system used in Bolivia (see the full report here: in Spanish<\/a>, or translated<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"BNB
    BNB Bank main branch for the South Zone, in La Paz, Bolivia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    BNB Bank has the following key financial metrics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Assets:<\/strong> $3.846 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Liabilities:<\/strong> $3.589 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Equity:<\/strong> $256.4 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Annual Income:<\/strong> $33.5 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Loan Portfolio:<\/strong> $2.653 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Savings Deposits:<\/strong> $2.786 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Branches nationwide: 81<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ATMs nationwide: 379<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4) Bisa Bank<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Bisa Bank<\/a> (Banco Bisa) has almost 60 years of history in Bolivia. It began as an industrial bank primarily serving mining and agricultural companies, but later transitioned into a commercial bank serving various types of businesses and individual clients.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Bisa
    Bisa Bank headquarters, in El Prado, La Paz, Bolivia.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Bisa Bank has the following key financial metrics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Assets:<\/strong> $3.296 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Liabilities:<\/strong> $3.067 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Equity:<\/strong> $229.5 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Annual Income:<\/strong> $31.1 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Loan Portfolio:<\/strong> $2.173 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Savings Deposits:<\/strong> $2.487 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Branches nationwide: 82<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ATMs nationwide: 339<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5) Credit Bank<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Credit Bank<\/a> (Banco de Cr\u00e9dito BCP) is a subsidiary of the Peruvian Credit Bank, formed from the acquisition of a previous Bolivian bank called the Popular Bank. Since then, the Credit Bank in Bolivia has grown to become one of the largest operating in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"BCP
    BCP Bank main branch for La Paz Bolivia, in the Central Zone.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    The Credit Bank has the following key financial metrics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Assets:<\/strong> $2.959 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Liabilities:<\/strong> $2.751 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Equity:<\/strong> $207.7 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Annual Income:<\/strong> $29.7 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Loan Portfolio:<\/strong> $2.134 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Savings Deposits:<\/strong> $2.277 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Branches nationwide: >80<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ATMs nationwide: ~300<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Largest Banks in Bolivia by Type of Bank<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In Bolivia, you’ll find three main types of banks available to the general public:<\/p>\n\n\n\n