Gulf country's banks are the main regional gainers in this year’s ranking, as loan books continued to rise healthily.
The US saw a 106.1% year-on-year increase in money set aside in case of bad loans, according to the Top 1000 World Banks ranking.
Leading lenders in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia saw profits slump last year.
Eight out of the nine African countries represented within the Top 1000 World Banks ranking saw aggregate pre-tax profits decrease year on year.
As they come through the pandemic, India’s large public sector banks are completing mergers with smaller banks, while both public and private sector banks are expanding their digital offerings.
Australian banks have once again dominated in Asia-Pacific, taking the top four places in the regional ranking.
South African banks may have come top in 2020, but Egyptian lenders have once again been the big African growth stars.
Most of Europe's largest banks managed to improve on their Tier 1 capital positions in 2020.
Latam's lenders entered 2020 in relatively good shape.
Qatar National Bank remains on top in the Middle East in 2020, but consolidation could mean challenges going forward.
As capital levels at Chinese banks continue to grow significantly, banks from the Asia-Pacific region now make up 385 of the Top 1000 World Banks ranking in 2021.
China’s banks underpin Asia-Pacific’s profit growth, while North America’s and western Europe’s shares decline, according to the Top 1000 World Banks ranking.
Return on equity and return on capital continue to fall at leading European banks, according to the Top 1000 World Banks ranking.
The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks ranking for 2021 shows a resilient industry that is better capitalised than before the global pandemic struck.