UK banks close thousands of high street sites in digital drive

OVER the past five years, some of the largest traditional banks have closed more than a third of their UK branches, shifting focus from the high street to enhance their digital services.

- MAISIE GRICE

Data from the Office of National Statistics reveals that the number of bank, credit union and building society branches in the UK plummeted from 10,410 in 2019 to 6,870 in 2024, marking a 34% decline.

The trend of branch closures continued to rise steadily into 2025, with NatWest, Halifax, Lloyds and Bank of Scotland set to shut 113 branches by the end of November.

In March, Santander announced it would close 94 of its 444 branches in the UK, with 14 locations closing this month alone.