UniCredit enters Romania’s top three banks by assets after Alpha Bank takeover

UniCredit has moved into the top three largest banks in Romania by assets in 2025 following its takeover of Alpha Bank’s local operations, according to calculations by Economica.net based on data published by credit institutions.

Banca Transilvania and Banca Comercială Română (BCR) retained their positions as the two largest banks in the country. UniCredit’s expansion pushed state-owned CEC Bank out of third place, reshaping the upper tier of Romania’s banking sector.

Below the top three, competition remains tight among several lenders. BRD Groupe Société Générale, Raiffeisen Bank, and ING Bank are closely grouped in terms of assets, reflecting a narrow gap in market share among institutions ranked between fourth and seventh place.

UniCredit and ING Bank are also reported to be close in terms of profitability, although ING’s net profit figure was estimated as the bank disclosed only gross profit.

A different hierarchy emerges when comparing banks by return on assets (ROA), a key profitability indicator. While Banca Transilvania and BCR again occupy the top two positions, Raiffeisen Bank ranks third, followed by ING Bank in fourth place and BRD in fifth.

CEC Bank ranks seventh by ROA, followed by Libra Bank, despite a significantly larger asset base. Garanti Bank and Exim Banca Românească complete the top 10 ranking by profitability.

The latest data highlight both consolidation at the top of Romania’s banking sector and intensified competition among mid-sized lenders, particularly in terms of efficiency and returns.

(Photo source: Ungureanu Vadim/Dreamstime.com)