Notes on Financial Stability and Supervision no. 47 - The reduction in bank branches and rising digital reliance

13 November 2025

evidence on households' access to financial services

Between 2008 and 2022, the number of bank branches in Italy decreased by about 40 per cent. The decline was more pronounced in the North of the country and has intensified since 2015. However, this reduction was not accompanied by a deterioration in households' access to financial services.

According to Banca d'Italia's Survey on Household Income and Wealth, the share of households with at least one bank or post office deposit account rose to over 97 per cent in 2022 (based on the latest available data). Initially, this increase was supported by postal services; subsequently, greater reliance on digital banking services fuelled a further rise.

Significant differences remain in the way households use digital services in the financial industry. According to the survey, in 2022 the share of remote users was 25 per cent among households whose head was over 65 years of age, compared with 66 per cent among younger households. These differences are likely to diminish in the future: almost 60 per cent of households whose head is aged 51-64 years have used digital channels to access financial services.