Banking concentration and competition in Spain: the impact of the crisis and restructuring

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse recent developments in banking concentration and competition in Spain, focusing on the impact of the recent restructuring and consolidation of the industry, and providing information at provincial level. The competition indicators constructed show that, in principle, competition has suffered as a result of the restructuring since 2008, although the indicator that takes into account risk shows that it is currently at levels similar to those existing before the crisis. In the case of market concentration, the picture at national level is an aggregation of very varied situations at the provincial level, with very high levels in some cases. Accordingly, from the standpoint of competition, it is important to analyse competitive rivalry not only at the national level but also in markets covering a more limited geographical area.