The expert predicted a reduction in the number of banks in Russia

Fewer than 300 operating banks may remain in Russia by the end of this year, Marina Chekurova, CEO and head of the Board of the Expert RA rating agency, said on June 2.

"We expect that by the end of this year the number of banks may drop below 300. In general, we consider it an adequate consequence to reduce the number of banks by five to ten per year," TASS quoted her as saying.

The specialist pointed out that since the beginning of 2026, five credit institutions have left the banking market, of which three subsequently joined their parent structures. She added that the large-scale clearing of the sector has been completed, and currently the license reviews have become spot-on.

They seemed to be in the red: every fifth bank in Russia became unprofitable

What is the reason for this and can it cause bankruptcies?

The head of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Elvira Nabiullina, said at the congress of the Association of Banks of Russia on May 22 that the Bank of Russia was discussing with the Ministry of Finance the possibility of including all banks in the "white lists". Nabiullina noted that current technologies do not yet allow connecting all banks at the same time, so the activation will take place in stages. At the first stage, it will include large systemically important organizations, critical services, as well as insurance companies.