Some banks are bigger than governments: their assets are greater than their home countries’ economies. The chart below shows the size of major European banks as a proportion - or multiple - of their home countries’ GDP. This measure illustrates the comparative sizes of business and governments. (Please note the graphic gives only a basic comparison: the asset values refer to the whole bank, and should not be viewed as contributing toward any particular economy.)

Updated: Now shows tier 1 capital ratios for each bank, and household debt levels as percentage of GDP.