Russian banks show record greed in 2025, surpassing Europe and China
The level of greed among Russian banks in 2025 was three times higher than in Europe and China, driven by high interest rates and profit-enhancing schemes. The net profit of the banking sector reached 1.7% of GDP, or 3.7 trillion rubles, exceeding the 2024 figure of 2% of GDP and marking a unique growth compared to previous years.
This was reported by Russian propaganda media
In 2025, the Bank of Russia’s interest rate reached 19.1%, the highest level recorded during the year. Banks employed various tactics to increase revenues — pushing insurance and additional services, offering loans with interest rates of 30% and even 50%, imposing fines, and using complex, unfavorable contract terms in fine print. The net interest margin in the third quarter stood at 4.3%, which is 2.7 times higher than in the EU and 3.1 times higher than in China. Alongside increasing profits, bonuses for top bank executives also rose.
The future development of this trend will depend on the Bank of Russia’s policies and possible financial market changes, as excessive greed by banks could reduce credit accessibility and heighten social tensions among the population.
