Co-operative Bank of Kenya has been recognised among the world’s top-performing financial institutions in the inaugural Forbes World’s Top Performing Banks 2026 ranking.
The ranking, compiled by Forbes in partnership with global market research firm Statista, features 500 leading banks across 89 countries, offering a broad assessment of financial institutions based on their performance, resilience and ability to sustain growth.
Co-operative Bank was ranked 120th globally in Forbes’ Tier Six category for small banks, joining three other Kenyan lenders recognised in the ranking.
Equity Group Holdings ranked 71st in the Tier Five lower mid-sized banks category, while KCB Group was placed 79th among Tier Five mid-sized banks.
Stanbic Holdings ranked 138th in the Tier Six small banks category.
Forbes assessed the banks using four key performance areas: profitability, growth and earnings quality, capital and funding resilience, and asset quality and efficiency.
Profitability carried the highest weighting at 30 per cent, with indicators including return on average assets, cost-to-income ratio and net interest margin.
Growth and earnings quality accounted for 20 per cent, focusing on earnings growth and stability as well as customer deposit growth over three years.
Capital and funding resilience contributed 25 per cent, with the assessment considering measures such as capital strength and loan-to-deposit ratios.
The remaining 25 per cent focused on asset quality and efficiency, including credit quality, risk management and balance-sheet resilience.
The recognition places Co-operative Bank among financial institutions demonstrating not only strong profitability, but also sustainable growth, sound capital positions and effective risk management in an increasingly competitive global banking sector.