The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released its 2025 authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) Points of Presence Statistics, showing that physical banking service channels continued to decline over the year to June 2025, but at a slower pace than in prior years. Bank branch numbers nationwide fell 4.6% between June 2024 and June 2025, while regional and remote areas recorded a 1.9% fall, the smallest decline since the series began, partly reflecting a moratorium on regional branch closures agreed between the Government and major banks in February 2025. The statistics provide a detailed listing of ADI physical channels, including branches, ATMs and EFTPOS facilities, based on information collected annually from ADIs. APRA cautioned that the dataset does not cover the full range of banking service channels and should be considered alongside increased use of digital banking and the role of other providers, and it encouraged industry bodies to work together to improve transparency, citing Australian Payments Network data on ATMs including those operated by third parties. APRA also concluded its review of Points of Presence data for ADIs, with further detail set out in its response letter.
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority 2025-10-16
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority publishes 2025 ADI points of presence statistics showing 4.6% fall in bank branches
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) released its 2025 Points of Presence Statistics for authorised deposit-taking institutions, noting a continued decline in physical banking service channels, with a 4.6% drop in bank branches nationwide and a 1.9% decrease in regional areas, the latter being the smallest since the series began. APRA emphasized considering these statistics alongside the rise in digital banking and urged industry collaboration to enhance transparency.