Points of no access: banks may close more than 2 thousand branches this year
Banks are reducing their branch network at a record pace. In 2026, credit institutions have already liquidated about 1,370 branches, which is the highest level in at least the last seven years. At this rate, the number of offices may decrease by more than 2.1 thousand by the end of the year. Banks are increasingly converting services to digital format in order to reduce the cost of maintaining the network. Whether this will reduce the availability of their services, especially against the background of temporary Internet outages, is discussed in the Izvestia article.
How many branches were closed by banks in 2026
In January – August 2026, banks closed 1,370 additional offices, according to the Central Bank's data, which was studied by Izvestia. There has not been a comparable drop in the first eight months in recent years (a maximum of 894 offices in 2021). Credit institutions have noticeably accelerated the network downsizing as customers switch to digital channels.
Banks closed the most branches in 2021 and 2022 — 1588 and 1631, respectively. However, in the first eight months of 2026, the reduction turned out to be comparable to the annual figures of previous years.
On average, 196 offices were closed per month this year. This is about twice as much as last year's level and the highest figure in at least the last seven years. If this rate continues, by the end of the year, banks may liquidate about 2,150 branches, which will be an absolute record in the entire history of observations.
At the same time, the final number may be even higher, experts say. The fact is that in May and June, the average rate of office closures was about a third higher than in previous months.
About 40% of all cases are accounted for by Sberbank: since the beginning of the year, the bank has liquidated almost 540 branches, according to the Central Bank. This is natural, because the organization has the widest network of offices in the country.
However, not all banks intend to reduce the number of branches. Alfa plans to open 28 new outlets by the end of the year, said Elena Tyatenkova, senior vice president of the organization. VTB and Dom.rf Bank also informed Izvestia about plans to develop an offline network.
At the same time, Raiffeisenbank talked about the priority of the digital service model. They clarified that only 3% of the organization's customers visit the offices every month, while the vast majority use a mobile application.
Why are banks reducing the number of branches
The main reason for optimizing the network is a change in customer habits, explained Dmitry Gritskevich, Head of Banking and Financial Market Analysis at PSB. According to him, it is possible to perform most standard operations remotely, as well as receive the vast majority of financial services. And the need for cash transactions is largely covered by ATMs.
The accelerated abandonment of branches over the past seven years is also associated with the development of mobile applications, payment services and financial platforms, where many operations can be carried out without visiting a bank, said Ilya Larin, a leading analyst on credit institution ratings at Expert RA agency. Offices that were opened during a period of high customer dependence on face-to-face services are gradually losing efficiency, so banks naturally try to reduce their costs.
Reducing the offline presence directly reduces the costs of credit institutions, so further network optimization is economically justified for them. Over the past seven years, the number of offices has begun to shrink faster, first due to the pandemic, and then due to lower demand for loans amid high interest rates, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Global. At the same time, inflation and staff shortages increased operating costs, making it unprofitable to maintain some offices.
Credit organizations are trying to remove redundant points and keep the ones that customers really need, Ilya Larin added. Sometimes offices are not completely closed, but rather the format is changed: branches can turn into multifunctional centers where comprehensive services are provided, or into mobile and remote service points that require fewer employees.
Not only unprofitable points are being closed, but also duplicate points that could remain after mergers and acquisitions in the market, said Konstantin Borodulin, managing director of NRA ratings of financial institutions. In most cases, the funds saved on network maintenance are used to develop digital services, IT infrastructure and existing branches, as well as to open new outlets in promising regions.
At the same time, banks will not be able to completely abandon offices. Due to the size of the country and the uneven penetration of technology, a significant number of customers still prefer face-to-face service, and some operations require personal presence, Konstantin Borodulin noted. In addition, the office remains an important part of the service in the private banking segment.
An additional complication is related to increased control over Russian transfers, said Vasily Kutyin, Ingo-bank's director of analytics. Many clients face account locks, and in some cases, a personal visit to the branch is required to remove restrictions. Therefore, even with the development of digital channels, banks cannot completely replace offices with remote services.
Interruptions in the operation of the mobile Internet in the Russian Federation also remain a problem. Because of them, remote service may be limited or completely unavailable for a while, Ilya Larin noted. Against this background, the demand for cash is growing, and the network of offices and ATMs is becoming more in demand.
How much will the network of bank branches shrink in the future
The trend towards optimizing the branch network will continue, and the digital format will still be the main service channel, according to the PSB. At the same time, banks will choose which offices to keep based on their workload, cost of maintenance and demand for services.
By the end of the year, the pace of branch closures will generally continue, according to Anna Dubilet, Director of the St. Petersburg Bank Branch Network Directorate. The dynamics will be influenced by two key factors: the cost of renting and maintaining space at a high key rate, as well as the speed of customer adaptation to digital channels.
In the future, the network may shrink even more. The number of bank offices in five years may decrease by 2-2.5 times — to about 12 thousand branches, Natalia Milchakova believes. According to her, this will be a natural continuation of the customers' transition to remote service.
However, due to Internet outages, the pace of closure may actually slow down temporarily, Natalia Milchakova admitted. However, in her opinion, such restrictions will not be permanent, so in the long term, banks will continue to optimize the physical network again. Nevertheless, the Central Bank will ensure that banking services remain within reach, especially in remote areas.
Ultimately, a complete abandonment of offline services should not be expected, Konstantin Borodulin emphasized. Credit institutions will have to find a balance between the economic efficiency of the network and the availability of banking services to the public. Simple operations will increasingly move into the digital channel, and departments will be used primarily for complex products, consultations, and situations where there is no way to do without the help of an employee.
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