Largest banks in Sweden 2023, by assets

In October 2018, Nordea Bank Abp, previously the largest Swedish bank, relocated its headquarters from Stockholm to Helsinki. This shift reduced the number of "storbanker" (large chartered banks) based in Sweden to three: Handelsbanken, SEB, and Swedbank. In 2023, SEB emerged as the largest among these, with total assets exceeding 3.6 trillion Swedish kronor, representing a significant year-over-year growth.

Loans of “storbanker”

In 2022, the three major Swedish banks - Handelsbanken, SEB, and Swedbank - provided 54 percent of total loans to households and non-financial institutions in Sweden. Foreign banks accounted for 20 percent of lending that year, a significant increase from the previous seven percent. This substantial rise was largely due to Nordea, which is now classified as a foreign bank in statistics following its 2018 headquarters relocation, despite maintaining a substantial customer base in Sweden.

Why did Nordea move to Helsinki?

Nordea Bank's headquarters moved from Stockholm to Helsinki, motivated by Finland's unique status as the only country in its home market within the Banking Union. The bank sought financial advantages by aligning with the Banking Union's regulatory framework. As a result, its corporate customer market in Finland thrived, achieving 100 percent market penetration among large corporations by 2023.