Equity Group has emerged as the highest-ranked Kenyan lender in Forbes’ inaugural World’s Top Performing Banks 2026 ranking, placing 71st globally among 500 banks recognised across 89 countries.
The recognition places Equity ahead of its Kenyan peers in a global ranking that assessed banks across four weighted dimensions: profitability at 30%, growth and earnings quality at 20%, capital and funding resilience at 25%, and asset quality and efficiency at 25%.
The ranking, developed by Forbes in partnership with market research firm Statista, marks a shift from customer-perception-led bank rankings to a performance-based assessment using objective financial data. Forbes said the ranking was based on data obtained through leading providers, including S&P Capital IQ, desk research and submissions from banks via Forbes.com.
Equity Group was ranked in Tier Five, which covers lower mid-sized banks with total assets between USD 10 billion and USD 20 billion. Other Kenyan banks listed included KCB Group, which ranked 79th in Tier Five, Co-operative Bank at 120th in Tier Six, and Stanbic Holdings at 138th in Tier Six.
Equity’s ranking comes on the back of a strong half-year performance in 2026, with the Group reporting a 32% year-on-year increase in Profit After Tax to KSh45.5 billion, from KSh34.6 billion, while Profit Before Tax rose 39% to KSh57.8 billion. Total income grew 25% to KSh124.9 billion, supported by a 17% increase in net interest income and a 36% rise in non-funded income to KSh55.6 billion.
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Equity also continued to expand its balance sheet, which grew 20% to KSh2.16 trillion, driven by a 21% rise in customer deposits to KSh1.59 trillion. The Group’s asset quality and efficiency also improved during the period. Non-performing loans declined to 9.5% from 13.7%, while NPL coverage improved to 70% from 68%. The cost-to-income ratio improved to 48.6% from 51.7%, reflecting productivity gains, shared services and continued migration of customer activity to digital channels.
The Group’s regional diversification also continues to strengthen its performance profile. Regional subsidiaries now contribute 42% of Group banking profitability, 47% of revenue, 51% of deposits, 54% of loans and 52% of banking assets.
Forbes’ ranking comes at a time when the global banking sector continues to grow. Forbes cited McKinsey & Company data showing that the sector’s net income rose 7% between 2024 and 2025 to USD 1.3 trillion, underlining the scale of the global benchmark in which Equity has been recognised.
The inclusion of four Kenyan lenders in Forbes’ inaugural World’s Top Performing Banks 2026 ranking, points to the growing strength and visibility of Kenya’s banking sector within the global financial landscape. This reinforces the sector’s competitiveness, resilience and ability to meet international performance benchmarks, demonstrating that Kenyan institutions are not only competing locally, but increasingly standing out on the global stage
