The traditionally dominant international financial centres are struggling to cope with a glut of post-crisis regulation, giving smaller, newer jurisdictions an opportunity to steal a march on them. The Banker's survey shows that the traditional powerhouses still hold the top spots, but their grip is not as firm as it once was.
Despite some concerns over the impact of regulation on profit, the big banks in western Europe have mostly held their ground in this year's Top 1000 World Banks ranking. However, the aftermath of the financial crisis has seen changes in the UK and Spanish banking sectors.
A bank's loans-to-deposits ratio is a good indicator of how prudent its funding strategy is - too high can mean too risky, but too low suggests it may not be achieving its full potential. This year's Top 1000 World Banks show that western Europe heads the list with the highest national average LTD and China has the lowest.
With one of the most stable and well-capitalised banking systems in the world, Canadian banks are riding high on the back of a strong mortgage market. But will high consumer debt levels and international banking regulation restrict activity?
China's quest to meet its natural resources needs has been largely concentrated on Africa, but its presence in Latin America has been creeping up over the past decade. Latam governments, however, are proving to be less co-operative than their African counterparts.
Once renowned as one of the most dangerous countries on the planet, Colombia has tackled much of its drug-related problems and boasts one of the best-performing economies in Latin America, which is attracting international investment and in turn creating myriad opportunities for the country's banks.