The Global SWIFT / BIC Report 2026
We analysed 112,887 SWIFT/BIC codes from 39,139 financial institutions across 232 countries. Here is where the world's bank codes actually are.
Key findings
- Italy has the most SWIFT codes — 26,259 (23.3% of the world total), ahead of every other country.
- United Kingdom has the most distinct institutions (4,649).
- On average each institution holds 2.9 SWIFT codes — one per branch, department or settlement desk.
- The top 5 countries alone account for a large majority of all registered codes.
Top 15 countries by SWIFT / BIC codes
Share of the 112,887 SWIFT/BIC codes in the dataset, by country.
Top 10 countries by number of institutions
📊 Cite this report (free)
Writing about banks, SWIFT/BIC codes or cross-border payments? You're welcome to use these figures — please credit PAYATE with a link:
Source: PAYATE Global SWIFT/BIC Report 2026 — an analysis of 112,887 SWIFT codes across 232 countries.
Need a specific code? Use the SWIFT / BIC codes tool to look up or validate any code.
Methodology
Figures are aggregated from PAYATE's offline SWIFT/BIC reference dataset of 112,887 codes, covering 232 countries and 39,139 financial institutions. A SWIFT/BIC code is public routing information (8–11 characters) that identifies a bank or branch for international transfers — it is not account or personal data. Counts are a snapshot and are updated periodically.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a SWIFT / BIC code?
A SWIFT code (also called a BIC, Bank Identifier Code) is an 8–11 character code that identifies a specific bank or financial institution internationally — used to route cross-border payments and wire transfers. This report covers 112,887 of them.
How many SWIFT codes are there worldwide?
This dataset holds 112,887 SWIFT/BIC codes across 39,139 financial institutions in 232 countries. A single institution usually has several codes (one per branch or department).
Which country has the most SWIFT codes?
Italy leads with 26,259 codes (23.3% of the total), largely because of how its banking branches register BICs.
Can I cite this report?
Yes — it is free to cite. Use the attribution snippet in the “Cite this report” section (it links back here). To look up or validate a specific code, use the SWIFT / BIC codes tool.