The following list shows the largest and best banks in the World in terms of total assets. The top 10 banks have over $24.4 trillion in combined assets and top 50 banks – about $67 trillion. Three of the Top 6 largest banks are UK institutions. For the third year in a row, BNP Paribas is the largest bank in the world. In 2008, it was the fourth after Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Deutsche Bank. BNP Paribas was created through the merger of Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) and Paribas in 2000. BNP Paribas's four domestic markets are France, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg. The Bank operates in more than 80 countries and employs over 205,000 people, including 162,500 in Europe, 15,200 in North America and 12,500 in Asia.

HSBC is the second largest bank in the world with $2,691 billion in assets. With around 7,500 offices in 87 countries and territories, 220,000 shareholders, 300,000 staff and about 100 million customers worldwide, HSBC arguably has the most international presence among the world's multinational banking giants. The company was founded in 1865 and is based in London.

Deutsche Bank is the third largest bank in the world with $2,681 billion in assets. The Bank employs over 100,000 people and serves more than 20 million customers through a network of about 3,100 branches worldwide, of which 67% in Germany. In its home market, Germany, Deutsche Bank is the undisputed number one, and it has a leading market position in Europe. In 2010, Deutsche Bank announced the largest capital increase in its history, intended to finance the takeover of Deutsche Postbank AG. With a market share of 21 percent, Deutsche Bank is the largest foreign exchange dealer in the world.