Overview
- CNBV figures released Tuesday show Mexico had 11,312 bank branches in the first quarter of 2026, down 505 from Q1 2025 and the smallest network since August 2020.
- Major lenders drove most of the decline: BBVA cut 157 branches, HSBC closed 131 and Santander trimmed 42 during the year to March 2026.
- Some banks pursued the opposite course, with Banorte adding 23 branches, BanCoppel opening 14 and Banamex adding one as institutions adopt differing physical-network strategies.
- Rapid growth in online account openings and mobile use — including a study finding a large share of millennials and centennials use only mobile banking — is reducing routine branch visits and allowing banks to shrink branch footprints.
- Industry analysis shows new branch formats are much smaller (roughly 150–200 m2 versus historical 500–600 m2), releasing well-located space that real-estate firms say can be redeployed for gyms, clinics, supermarkets and showrooms and is reshaping urban retail markets across the region.