Top 10 Oldest Banks Still Operating

The banks ranked here use stated founding years of still-operating institutions, and later mergers or changes of form are labelled rather than mixed in. Rank is by the stated founding year of a still-operating bank or banking institution, with earlier years standing above later ones, and later mergers or changes of form are labelled rather than mixed into a silent different product ^[1][2]. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is first, at the official founding date of 4 March 1472; Guinness World Records recognises it as the oldest continuously operating bank, still in operation as of 10 February 2025, and records that it was founded as a mount of piety and assumed its present commercial-bank form in 1624, a change of form that is labelled rather than used to drop the 1472 founding year ^[1][2]. Berenberg Bank is second, at the official founding year of 1590; Guinness World Records recognises it as the oldest merchant bank, and records that it began as a trading house, a change of form that is labelled ^[1][3]. Sveriges Riksbank is third, at the official founding year of 1668, the outstanding official central bank in this ten, and that status is labelled ^[4].

Later names remain in the same still-operating class. C. Hoare & Co. is fourth, at the stated founding year of 1672 ^[4]. Metzler Bank is fifth, at the stated founding year of 1674 ^[4]. Barclays is sixth, at the stated founding year of 1690, with later group lineage labelled ^[4]. Coutts & Co. is seventh, at the stated founding year of 1692, now part of NatWest Group, labelled ^[4]. The Bank of England is eighth, at the official founding year of 1694 ^[4]. The Bank of Scotland is ninth, at the stated founding year of 1695, now part of Lloyds Banking Group, labelled ^[4]. The Royal Bank of Scotland is tenth, at the stated founding year of 1727, now also part of NatWest Group, labelled ^[4]. Monte de Piedad de Madrid, often dated to 1702, is a predecessor institution later absorbed into Bankia and then CaixaBank, a continuity that is labelled and is not used as a silent tenth-place replacement ^[4]. This article does not copy official crests, bank seals, or exact facades as decorative art.

Key Facts

The ten below are the labelled founding-year leaders still operating: Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, 1472; Berenberg Bank, 1590; Sveriges Riksbank, 1668; C. Hoare & Co., 1672; Metzler Bank, 1674; Barclays, 1690; Coutts & Co., 1692; the Bank of England, 1694; the Bank of Scotland, 1695; and the Royal Bank of Scotland, 1727 ^[1][2][3][4]. Rank 1 is the outstanding official founding year, which stands well above every later named institution.

The table is the official spine: stated founding years first, changes of form and later group membership labelled, and no silent substitution of a weaker continuity claim.

Oldest Banks Still Operating at a Glance

1. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is first, at the official founding date of 4 March 1472 ^[1][2]. Guinness World Records recognises it as the oldest continuously operating bank, still in operation as of 10 February 2025, 552 years and 343 days after its founding ^[1]. The bank's official history records that it originated as a Monte Pio, or pawn agency, at the behest of the Magistracies of the Republic of Siena, and that its activity evolved toward classical banking, especially after the reforms of 1568 and 1624; that change of form is labelled rather than used to replace the 1472 founding year with 1624 ^[2]. This article records the official 1472 founding date. It stands well above Berenberg Bank's official 1590 founding year.

It is first as the outstanding official founding date, a labelled fact, and the documentary centre of this ten ^[1][2]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

The official Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena history and the Guinness World Records title are the sources ^[1][2].

2. Berenberg Bank

Berenberg Bank is second, at the official founding year of 1590, when the brothers Hans and Paul Berenberg founded their company in Hamburg ^[3]. Guinness World Records recognises it as the oldest merchant bank, and records that it began as a trading house rather than as a bank in the later commercial sense; that change of form is labelled ^[1][3]. This article records the official 1590 founding year.

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It is second as the outstanding official 1590 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to Sveriges Riksbank ^[1][3]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

The official Berenberg history and the Guinness World Records oldest-merchant-bank title are the sources ^[1][3].

3. Sveriges Riksbank

Sveriges Riksbank is third, at the official founding year of 1668 ^[4]. The institution is the outstanding official central bank in this ten, and that status is labelled rather than used to drop it from a still-operating-banks list or to treat it as a private retail bank ^[4]. This article records the official 1668 founding year. It stands above C. Hoare & Co. at 1672.

It is third as the outstanding official 1668 founding year, a labelled central-bank fact, and a necessary counterpart to C. Hoare & Co. ^[4]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

Dated official founding-year sources for still-operating banks are the source ^[4].

4. C. Hoare & Co.

C. Hoare & Co. is fourth, at the stated founding year of 1672 ^[4]. The bank remains independently owned, not a limited company in the later joint-stock sense, and that continuity is labelled ^[4]. This article records the stated 1672 founding year. It stands just above Metzler Bank at 1674.

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It is fourth as the outstanding stated 1672 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to Metzler Bank ^[4]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

Dated official founding-year sources are the source ^[4].

5. Metzler Bank

Metzler Bank is fifth, at the stated founding year of 1674 ^[4]. The figure is a stated founding year for that named still-operating bank, not a later unofficial estimate, and not a silent combination with any later German bank. This article records the stated 1674 founding year.

It is fifth as the outstanding stated 1674 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to Barclays ^[4]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

Dated official founding-year sources are the source ^[4].

6. Barclays

Barclays is sixth, at the stated founding year of 1690 ^[4]. Later group lineage is labelled rather than treated as a break that would drop the bank from a still-operating ten, and rather than used to invent a later unofficial founding year ^[4]. This article records the stated 1690 founding year.

It is sixth as the outstanding stated 1690 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to Coutts & Co. ^[4]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

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Dated official founding-year sources are the source ^[4].

7. Coutts & Co.

Coutts & Co. is seventh, at the stated founding year of 1692 ^[4]. The bank is now part of NatWest Group, and that later group membership is labelled rather than used to drop the 1692 founding year ^[4]. This article records the stated 1692 founding year. It stands just above the Bank of England at 1694.

It is seventh as the outstanding stated 1692 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to the Bank of England ^[4]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

Dated official founding-year sources are the source ^[4].

8. Bank of England

The Bank of England is eighth, at the official founding year of 1694 ^[4]. The institution is a still-operating central bank, labelled as such, and not a silent combination with any later commercial bank. This article records the official 1694 founding year. It stands just above the Bank of Scotland at 1695.

It is eighth as the outstanding official 1694 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to the Bank of Scotland ^[4]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

Dated official founding-year sources are the source ^[4].

9. Bank of Scotland

The Bank of Scotland is ninth, at the stated founding year of 1695 ^[4]. The bank is now part of Lloyds Banking Group, and that later group membership is labelled rather than used to drop the 1695 founding year ^[4]. This article records the stated 1695 founding year.

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It is ninth as the outstanding stated 1695 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to the Royal Bank of Scotland ^[4]. A later official revision will belong in a revision of the cell.

Dated official founding-year sources are the source ^[4].

10. Royal Bank of Scotland

The Royal Bank of Scotland is tenth, at the stated founding year of 1727 ^[4]. The bank is now part of NatWest Group, labelled as such ^[4]. Monte de Piedad de Madrid, often dated to 1702, is a predecessor institution later absorbed into Bankia and then CaixaBank; that weaker continuity is labelled and is not used as a silent tenth-place replacement ^[4]. This article records the stated 1727 founding year as the last named bank in the ranking.

It is tenth as the outstanding stated 1727 founding year, a labelled fact, and a necessary counterpart to the Bank of Scotland ^[4]. A later official revision, or a later official founding year that belongs earlier than 1727 with clear continuity, will belong in a revision of the ten.

Dated official founding-year sources are the source ^[4].

Conclusion

A 2026 oldest-banks list has to keep Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena at the official founding date of 4 March 1472, keep the 1624 change of form in the open, and refuse to treat a later unofficial year or a weaker absorbed predecessor as a silent official cell ^[1][2]. Berenberg Bank, Sveriges Riksbank, C. Hoare & Co., Metzler Bank, Barclays, Coutts & Co., the Bank of England, the Bank of Scotland, and the Royal Bank of Scotland complete a named ten in which founding years, changes of form, and later group membership are stated in the open ^[1][3][4]. The useful habit is a stated founding year, a labelled continuity note, and a refusal to mix an absorbed predecessor into a current official cell.

A later official revision will belong in a revision of a cell; it will not change the method. Those labelled founding years are the spine of the list, and they will still be the spine after a later official history has restated a founding year or an operating status.