Bank branches continue to fall by the wayside, with new APRA data showing the number of bank branches in Australia fell by 97 over the past financial year, and by 1,215 over the last five years.
Canstar’s analysis of APRA’s Points of Presence data for 30 June 2026, released today, shows the number of ATMs has also dropped, by 184 in the last financial year and 2,798 compared to the end of the 2021 financial year.
Number of branches, ATMs and | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number | Change from previous yr | Change from 5 yrs ago | |
Branches | 3,108 | -97 -3% | -1,215 -28% |
Bank ATMs | 4,959 | -184 -4% | -2,798 -36% |
All ATMs* | 21,183 | -2,802 -12% | -4,864 -19% |
Bank@Post | 3,304 | -61 -2% | -234 -7% |
Source: APRA, prepared by Canstar. Bank ATMs exclude third-party provider ATMs. *All ATM data is from the Australian Payments Network.
Regional branch closures slowing
Branch numbers outside of the capital cities (inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote areas) dropped in total by 25 in FY26.
However, the rate of decline is slowing. In FY25, the drop was 29. Just 3 years before, the drop was 122.
This is largely due to the commitment from the big four banks to keep their regional branches open, with CBA the latest of the majors to extend its moratorium.
The big four banks’ moratoriums on regional bank closures are:
- CBA until December 2030
- Westpac through to 2030
- NAB until mid-2027
- ANZ until mid-2027.
Source: APRA, prepared by Canstar. “Regional” is inner and outer regional, “remote” is remote and very remote categories.
Number of branches by remoteness in Australia: June 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number | Change from previous yr | Change from 5 yrs ago | |
Major cities | 1,674 | -72 -4% | -892 -35% |
Inner regional | 810 | -18 -2% | -193 -19% |
Outer regional | 500 | -6 -1% | -97 -16% |
Remote | 86 | -1 -1% | -21 -20% |
Very remote | 38 | No change | -12 -24% |
Source: APRA, prepared by Canstar.
Major banks’ branch numbers drop, despite regional commitments
Looking at the big four banks specifically, Westpac recorded the largest drop from the previous financial year, with 17 fewer branches now in operation compared to FY25.
ANZ recorded no branch closures in the year.
Big four banks’ number of branches: June 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number | Change from previous yr | Change from 5 yrs ago | |
CBA | 633 | -14 -2% | -242 -28% |
Westpac | 475 | -17 -3% | -361 -43% |
NAB | 413 | -4 -1% | -169 -29% |
ANZ | 284 | No change | -163 -36% |
Source: APRA, prepared by Canstar. Westpac Group’s 5-year change includes the co-location of subsidiary branches. ANZ excludes Suncorp branches.
CBA leads big four ATM cuts as NAB bucks the trend
The majors had a combined 4,146 ATMs at the end of June 2026, with the big four network shrinking by 39 over the past year and 1,816 over five years.
NAB was the only major bank to increase its ATM numbers over the past year, adding 21, however, it has the least of the big four banks.
Big four banks’ number of ATMs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number 30 June 2026 | Change from previous yr | Change from 5 yrs ago | |
CBA | 1,774 | -45 -2% | -718 -29% |
Westpac | 764 | -14 -2% | -537 -41% |
NAB | 740 | +21 +3% | -155 -17% |
ANZ | 868 | -1 -0.1% | -406 -32% |
Source: APRA, prepared by Canstar. ANZ excludes Suncorp ATMS.
Bank@Post points of presence also on the decline
Australia Post’s Bank@Post continues to be an important service across the country, with a total of 3,304 outlets offering this service.
Bank@Post enables customers to carry out basic transactions such as making deposits, withdrawals and balance enquiries if their bank has an agreement with Australia Post.
Participating banks include all four big banks, CBA, Westpac, NAB and ANZ.
Number of Bank@Post points of presence by remoteness in Australia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number 30 June 2026 | Change from previous year | Change from 5 years ago | |
Major cities | 1,475 | -37 -2% | -158 -10% |
Inner regional | 875 | -12 -1% | -37 -4% |
Outer regional | 691 | -12 -2% | -34 -5% |
Remote | 148 | +1 +1% | -2 -1% |
Very remote | 115 | -1 -1% | -3 -3% |
Source: APRA, prepared by Canstar.com.au
One in three Australians would face hardship without cash access
A 2025 RBA consumer payments survey found that during that year around 15% of payments were made in cash and around half of Australians used cash in a typical week.
The survey found one-third of Australians would face hardship or major inconvenience if cash was difficult to access or if shops did not accept cash.
Banks can’t just assume everyone is eager to go digital
Canstar’s Data Insights Director, Sally Tindall, says, “Australia’s physical banking network is shrinking and it’s happening at two main points of presence – fewer branches to speak to someone face-to-face and fewer bank-owned ATMs to withdraw cash fee-free.”
“Over 1,200 bank branches have disappeared in just five years, while the bank ATM network has shrunk by more than a third in this time.
“For people who do their banking online, that might not seem like a big deal, but for those who rely on cash or need in-person help, these closures can make everyday banking incredibly difficult.
“Banks can’t just assume everyone is eager to go digital. As branches and ATMs disappear, it’s critical that people who still rely on cash have a practical way to access it.
“There’s some welcome breathing room for regional communities, with branch closures slowing noticeably thanks to the big four bank moratorium on regional branch closures. However, this problem has been paused, not solved.
“Bank@Post plays an important role in keeping basic banking services within reach, but it’s not a complete replacement for a bank branch.
“Multi-bank hubs is one answer being put forward by the Australian Banking Association, and it’s encouraging to see they’re thinking through potential solutions to what is increasingly becoming a problem for the banks.
“However, the details behind this proposal will be important. The goal should be to make banking easier to access, not just cheaper to deliver, and it certainly can not come at the cost of competition in the sector.”
Number of branches by state | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number 30 June 2026 | Change from previous year | Change from 5 years ago | |
NSW | 1,039 | -32 -3% | -392 -27% |
Vic | 728 | -20 -3% | -318 -30% |
Qld | 676 | -27 -4% | -220 -25% |
SA | 229 | -5 -2% | -92 -29% |
WA | 262 | -5 -2% | -142 -35% |
Tas | 81 | -3 -4% | -15 -16% |
NT | 44 | No change | -7 -14% |
ACT | 47 | -5 -10% | -29 -38% |
Source: Canstar. Based on APRA Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions' Points of Presence Statistics (Jun-2026). Change from 5 years ago is compared to 30 June 2021.
Number of ATMs by state | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number 30 June 2026 | Change from previous year | Change from 5 years ago | |
NSW | 1,589 | -29 -2% | -896 -36% |
VIC | 1,412 | -35 -2% | -675 -32% |
QLD | 949 | -80 -8% | -584 -38% |
SA | 333 | -35 -10% | -176 -35% |
WA | 422 | +4 +1% | -341 -45% |
TAS | 107 | -1 -1% | -40 -27% |
NT | 81 | -5 -6% | -28 -26% |
ACT | 65 | -3 -4% | -58 -47% |
Source: Canstar. Based on APRA Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions' Points of Presence Statistics (Jun-2026). Change from 5 years ago is compared to 30 June 2021.
Number of Bank@Post outlets by state | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Number 30 June 2026 | Change from previous year | Change from 5 years ago | |
NSW | 961 | -22 -2% | -85 -8% |
Vic | 906 | -13 -1% | -56 -6% |
Qld | 559 | -10 -2% | -30 -5% |
SA | 317 | -9 -3% | -23 -7% |
WA | 340 | -5 -1% | -23 -6% |
Tas | 150 | -1 -1% | -7 -4% |
NT | 30 | +2 +7% | -1 -3% |
ACT | 36 | -3 -8% | -9 -20% |
Source: Canstar. Based on APRA Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions' Points of Presence Statistics (Jun-2026). Change from 5 years ago is compared to 30 June 2021.
