EMIS and Forvis Mazars Launch New Report - CEE Strategic Resilience in Banking: Outlook 2025
EMIS and Forvis Mazars Launch New Report - CEE Strategic Resilience in Banking: Outlook 2025
Between 2021 and 2024, the total banking assets across these economies increased by 41%, reaching more than €900bn. Net interest margins averaged 2.5% across the region and capital adequacy ratios remained consistently above 20%, well beyond EU thresholds.
18 December 2025 – EMIS, the leading curator of company and industry intelligence for the world’s fastest growing markets, in collaboration with Forvis Mazars Group, the international leader in audit and assurance, tax and advisory services, unveils its report: “CEE strategic resilience in banking: outlook 2025”, revealing that between 2021 and 2024, the total banking assets across these economies increased by 41%, reaching nearly €900bn. Net interest margins averaged 2.5% across the region and capital adequacy ratios remained consistently above 20%, well beyond EU thresholds.
Covering six core markets in the region - Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - the study provides a panoramic view of the sector’s evolution through data, regulatory insight and digital transformation trends.
Our extensive analysis reveals how banks across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have combined profitability, strong capitalisation and rapid digitalisation to become key players in Europe’s financial landscape.
The report also underlines how the CEE region navigated one of its most turbulent inflationary cycles in decades.
After prices surged to double-digit levels, between 10.7% and 15.3% in 2022, central banks were forced to tighten monetary policy sharply throughout 2023. A year later, coordinated actions and easing global pressures brought inflation down to an average of 3.9%, marking a rapid return toward stability. This disinflation phase reshaped monetary strategies across the region and reinforced the sector’s ability to adapt under pressure.
“The past few years have shown how resilient CEE banks can be under pressure. Strong capital buffers and solid profitability allowed the sector to absorb sharp interest rate hikes and an intense inflation cycle without weakening balance sheets. As inflation eases and monetary conditions gradually normalise, the focus is shifting from managing shocks to supporting sustainable lending growth. Banks that stay disciplined on risk while continuing to invest in efficiency and digital capabilities will be best positioned for the next phase”, notes Nikoleta Slavcheva, Researcher, EMIS.
Key Takeaways
Resilient Performance in a Volatile Environment
Despite economic volatility, banks in CEE have remained among the most resilient in Europe. The report attributes these outcomes to strong prudential supervision, conservative capital buffers and an increasingly sophisticated regulatory culture across the region. Together, these factors have allowed banks to navigate post-pandemic inflationary shocks and global uncertainty while maintaining sustainable growth trajectories.
Digital Transformation
The adoption of artificial intelligence, no-code platforms and hybrid cloud systems has become a cornerstone of operational strategy, with leading institutions investing heavily in automation and data-driven innovation. This shows a significant section of the wave of digital transformation reshaping the CEE banking industry.
Securitisation and Capital Efficiency
Beyond digital transformation, the study reveals how securitisation is evolving from a compliance requirement into a key driver of business expansion. CEE banks have increasingly participated in this growth through transactions in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
Future Outlook
Looking ahead, the report points to new supervisory priorities that will shape how banks plan and respond - such as climate and geopolitical risks, ESG principles and foreseen challenges.
About the Report
CEE strategic resilience in banking: outlook 2025 was jointly developed by EMIS and Forvis Mazars, combining independent market intelligence with practical insights from financial services professionals advising banks across the region. The report examines trends in profitability, capital adequacy, regulatory evolution, digitalisation, securitisation and ESG integration across six CEE markets.
Key Topics Covered in This Report:
- - Banking performance across CEE: profitability and efficiency
- - Capital strength and financial stability
- - Credit markets: penetration and pricing dynamics Deposit and loan market dynamics
- - Risk management practices and NPL evolution Digital transformation and strategic innovation
- - EU and the CEE: global fragmentation in banking leads to strategic choices ahead
- - Beyond compliance: how securitisation regulation powers business growth in CEE
- - AI in banking: managing compliance and transformation in CEE
- - Stress testing the future: climate risk, regulation and readiness in CEE
For further details and to access the full report, please visit: CEE Strategic Resilience in Banking: Outlook 2025
About EMIS
EMIS is th leading curator of multi-sector, multi-country research for the world’s fastest growing markets, providing a unique combination of research from globally renowned information providers, local and niche specialist sources, with own proprietary analysis and powerful monitoring and productivity tools. EMIS delivers trustworthy intelligence for over 370 industry sectors and over 17M companies (including 200k+ M&A and ECM deals) across 197 markets. Everything you need in one place where actionable insights are facilitated by leading technology. EMIS is part of ISI Markets.
www.emis.com
About Forvis Mazars
Forvis Mazars Group SC is an independent member of Forvis Mazars Global, a leading professional services network. Operating as an internationally integrated partnership in over 100 countries and territories, Forvis Mazars Group specialises in audit, tax and advisory services. The partnership draws on the expertise and cultural understanding of over 40,000 professionals across the globe to assist clients of all sizes at every stage in their development.
Visit forvismazars.com to learn more.
Media Contact:
Dorota Mickiewicz | EMEA Marketing Manager, EMIS
E: dmickiewicz@isimarkets.com T: +48 503 063 957
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