Chinese banks’ assets rise 6.6% in Q2

Insurance assets’ growth outpaced that of banks during the quarter.

The total assets of China’s financial institutions rose 7.7% year on year (YoY) to $83.77t (CNY562.2t) by the end of the second quarter of 2026, according to data from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).

Assets of banking institutions rose 6.6% YoY to $74.2t (CNY497.98t), whilst those of insurance institutions grew by 11.8% YoY to $6.54t (CNY43.86t).

Liabilities of financial institutions reached $76.66t (CNY514.48t), rising by 7.9% YoY. Liabilities of banking institutions increased by 6.8% YoY to $68.3t (CNY458.37t).

China’s Big 4 state banks saw revenue and profit remain stable or accelerate during the quarter, but loan demand remained weak, according to a separate report by Morningstar.

CreditSights by Fitch Solutions separately noted that Chinese banks’ loan growth was softer than expected during the first half period of the year, with gross loans just rising 4% to 6% year-to-date.

(US$1 = CNY6.71; as of 7 September 2026)