Battle · 7 companies
High street banks
The banks most of Britain uses. Who makes the most from it?
Lloyds Bank leads on turnover and net assets; NatWest on pre-tax profit and growth; HSBC UK on profit margin. Lloyds Bank is the biggest by turnover at £34,528m, against £23,714m at NatWest. HSBC UK keeps the most of every £100 it takes, £34.11 as pre-tax profit.
The year ends are close enough to compare like for like.
Accounts compared: Lloyds Bank to Dec 2025 · NatWest to Dec 2025 · Barclays UK to Dec 2025 · HSBC UK to Dec 2025 · Santander UK to Dec 2025 · TSB to Dec 2025 · Metro Bank to Dec 2025
The Numbers
| # | Company | Turnover | Change | Pre-tax profit | Margin | Employees | Pay per head | Turnover per head | Net assets | Bank and cash | Accounts to | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lloyds BankLloyds Bank PLC | £34,528m | +0.5% | £5,472m | 15.8% | 62,242 | £72,000 | £555,000 | £41,909m | £37,720m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 2 | NatWestNational Westminster Bank Public Limited Company | £23,714m | +5.8% | £5,726m | 24.1% | 54,500 | £62,000 | £435,000 | £24,121m | £29,939m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 3 | HSBC UKHSBC UK Bank PLC | £16,474m | -1.2% | £5,619m | 34.1% | 19,841 | £61,000 | £830,000 | £28,241m | £40,369m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 4 | Barclays UKBarclays Bank UK PLC | £14,664m | -0.1% | £3,325m | 22.7% | 18,300 | £85,000 | £801,000 | £20,278m | £27,328m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 5 | Santander UKSantander UK PLC | £12,309m | -7.2% | £1,482m | 12.0% | 16,656 | £72,000 | £739,000 | £15,148m | £29,376m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 6 | TSBTSB Bank PLC | £2,130m | -5.9% | £339m | 15.9% | 4,733 | £67,000 | £450,000 | £2,338m | £4,202m | Dec 2025 | Group |
| 7 | Metro BankMetro Bank PLC | £864m | -10.7% | £91m | 10.5% | 2,859 | £69,000 | £302,000 | £1,516m | £2,184m | Dec 2025 | Group |
Ranked by turnover. Click any column to sort. The leader on each measure is highlighted. Movements are against each company's own prior year. Pre-tax profit is filed except where marked (est.). For a bank, the turnover shown here is gross income: interest received plus fees and other income, before the interest it pays out to savers and lenders. Its total income after that interest was £18,429m, and its group includes Bank of Scotland plc (the company behind Halifax), MBNA and Black Horse (accounts to 31 December 2025, pp. 1 and 171). For a bank, the turnover shown here is gross income: interest received plus fees and other income, before the interest it pays out to savers and lenders. Its total income after that interest was £13,620m; its figures include Coutts & Company but not The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, a sister bank in NatWest Group (accounts to 31 December 2025, pp. 1 and 6). For a bank, the turnover shown here is gross income: interest received plus fees and other income, before the interest it pays out to savers and lenders. Its total income after that interest was £8,811m; Barclays Bank UK PLC holds most of the Barclays UK division, including Barclaycard UK and Tesco Bank (accounts to 31 December 2025, pp. 2 and 4). For a bank, the turnover shown here is gross income: interest received plus fees and other income, before the interest it pays out to savers and lenders. Its revenue after that interest was £10,468m, including first direct and M&S Bank (accounts to 31 December 2025, pp. 3 and 11). For a bank, the turnover shown here is gross income: interest received plus fees and other income, before the interest it pays out to savers and lenders. Its total operating income after that interest was £4,729m; these 2025 figures do not include TSB, whose purchase completed in 2026 (accounts to 31 December 2025, pp. 3 and 9). For a bank, the turnover shown here is gross income: interest received plus fees and other income, before the interest it pays out to savers and lenders. Its total income after that interest was £1,172m; these accounts were prepared while TSB was owned by Banco de Sabadell, and Santander UK became its owner in 2026 (accounts to 31 December 2025, pp. 2 and 7). For a bank, the turnover shown here is gross income: interest received plus fees and other income, before the interest it pays out to savers and lenders. Its total income after that interest was £694m (accounts to 31 December 2025, p. 109).
Category winners
Biggest by turnover
Lloyds Bank
£34,528m
Most pre-tax profit
NatWest
£5,726m
Highest profit margin
HSBC UK
34.1%
Fastest-growing turnover
NatWest
+5.8%
Biggest employer
Lloyds Bank
62,242 staff
Highest pay per head
Barclays UK
£85,000
Most turnover per head
HSBC UK
£830,000
Largest net assets
Lloyds Bank
£41,909m
Most cash
HSBC UK
£40,369m
The Takeaway
- HSBC UK converts the most of its turnover. Of every £100, £34.11 reaches pre-tax profit, against £10.52 at Metro Bank.
- Lloyds Bank is the largest on the top line, £34,528m of turnover, 1.5x NatWest's £23,714m.
- NatWest is growing fastest, turnover +5.8% on its own prior year. Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, TSB and Metro Bank went backwards.
- Lloyds Bank is the biggest employer with 62,242 people; Barclays UK pays the most per head, an average staff cost of about £85,000.
- Lloyds Bank has the largest balance sheet, net assets of £41,909m, while HSBC UK holds the most cash at £40,369m.
Who keeps the most of every £100 of sales?
HSBC UK keeps the most: £34.11 of every £100 of turnover becomes pre-tax profit. Metro Bank keeps the least, £10.52.
Every profit figure here is the one the company filed.
The chart splits each company's turnover into £100: what goes on people, on interest and on everything else, and what is left as profit.
Out of every £100 of turnover
Each bar is £100 of that company's own turnover, so companies of any size compare on one scale; the figures are pounds out of each £100, not millions. Companies run from the best margin to the worst. Payroll is staff costs, other running costs are everything else, and profit is pre-tax profit, filed or estimated as marked in the table. A loss is not an extra cost: it is the part of the costs that runs past the £100 line, marked with a red bracket. Hover over any segment for its figure.
Who is the biggest, and does the comparison hold?
By turnover the order is Lloyds Bank (£34,528m), NatWest (£23,714m), HSBC UK (£16,474m), Barclays UK (£14,664m), Santander UK (£12,309m), TSB (£2,130m), Metro Bank (£864m).
By headcount, Lloyds Bank leads with 62,242 employees.
The accounting periods all end in the same month. All are on the same filing basis.
Turnover on the latest filing
Who is growing fastest?
NatWest grew fastest, turnover +5.8% on its own prior year, ahead of Lloyds Bank (+0.5%), Barclays UK (-0.1%), HSBC UK (-1.2%), TSB (-5.9%), Santander UK (-7.2%), Metro Bank (-10.7%).
Turnover change on each company's own prior year
Who employs the most, who pays the most, and who brings in the most per head?
Lloyds Bank employs the most, 62,242 people, against 54,500 at NatWest.
Barclays UK has the highest average staff cost, about £85,000 a head; HSBC UK the lowest, about £61,000.
HSBC UK brings in the most turnover per employee, about £830,000, against £302,000 at Metro Bank. It says as much about the business model as the workforce: a marketplace or a wholesaler needs far fewer people per pound than a restaurant or a gym.
Lloyds Bank
62,242
employees, about £72,000 pay a head, £555,000 turnover a head, -4.9% on the year
NatWest
54,500
employees, about £62,000 pay a head, £435,000 turnover a head, -2.2% on the year
Barclays UK
18,300
employees, about £85,000 pay a head, £801,000 turnover a head, +13.0% on the year
HSBC UK
19,841
employees, about £61,000 pay a head, £830,000 turnover a head, -1.0% on the year
Santander UK
16,656
employees, about £72,000 pay a head, £739,000 turnover a head, -13.5% on the year
TSB
4,733
employees, about £67,000 pay a head, £450,000 turnover a head, -6.2% on the year
Metro Bank
2,859
employees, about £69,000 pay a head, £302,000 turnover a head, -17.3% on the year
Who owns each one?
Ownership as recorded on the Companies House register of people with significant control, in the bands the register uses.
Held by Lloyds Banking Group Plc
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 34 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Lloyds Bank →
National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company · 00929027Held by Natwest Holdings Limited
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 20 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns NatWest →
Barclays Bank UK PLC · 09740322Held by Barclays Plc
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 12 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Barclays UK →
HSBC UK Bank PLC · 09928412Held by Hsbc Holdings Plc
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 9 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns HSBC UK →
Santander UK PLC · 02294747Held by Santander Uk Group Holdings Plc
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 18 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Santander UK →
TSB Bank PLC · SC095237Held by Tsb Banking Group Plc
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 4 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns TSB →
Metro Bank PLC · 06419578Held by Metro Bank Holdings Plc
A company recorded as a person with significant control. 3 outstanding charges on the register.
Who owns Metro Bank →
What does the full ledger show?
| Measure | Lloyds Bank | NatWest | Barclays UK | HSBC UK | Santander UK | TSB | Metro Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered name | LLOYDS BANK PLC | NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | BARCLAYS BANK UK PLC | HSBC UK BANK PLC | SANTANDER UK PLC | TSB BANK PLC | METRO BANK PLC |
| Company number | 00002065 | 00929027 | 09740322 | 09928412 | 02294747 | SC095237 | 06419578 |
| Incorporated | 1865 | 1968 | 2015 | 2015 | 1988 | 1985 | 2007 |
| Accounts filed | 19 March 2026 | 3 June 2026 | 3 June 2026 | 14 May 2026 | 25 March 2026 | 20 February 2026 | 13 August 2026 |
| Turnover, prior year | £34,343m | £22,407m | £14,685m | £16,666m | £13,265m | £2,264m | £968m |
| Pre-tax profit, prior year | £4,688m | £4,663m | £3,560m | £5,647m | £1,349m | £285m | -£208m |
| Staff costs | £4,471m | £3,392m | £1,555m | £1,205m | £1,198m | £319m | £198m |
| Payroll share of turnover | 12.9% | 14.3% | 10.6% | 7.3% | 9.7% | 15.0% | 22.9% |
| Employees, prior year | 65,435 | 55,700 | 16,200 | 20,034 | 19,260 | 5,047 | 3,455 |
| Dividends paid | £2,390m | £3,221m | £1,425m | n/d | £158m | n/d | n/d |
| Charges outstanding | 34 | 20 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 3 |
A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d; a zero in a filing is treated as not disclosed. Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, above that to the nearest million.
High street banks: common questions
Who is the biggest of Lloyds Bank, NatWest, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, TSB or Metro Bank?
Lloyds Bank, with turnover of £34,528m in the year to December 2025.
Which makes the most profit?
NatWest: £5,726m pre-tax in the year to December 2025.
Which employs the most people?
Lloyds Bank, with 62,242 employees in its latest accounts.
Lloyds Bank or NatWest: which is bigger?
Lloyds Bank, with turnover of £34,528m against £23,714m at NatWest on their latest filings. On margin, NatWest keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit. The full head to head is in the VS Series. Read the VS page →
Lloyds Bank or Barclays UK: which is bigger?
Lloyds Bank, with turnover of £34,528m against £14,664m at Barclays UK on their latest filings. On margin, Barclays UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Lloyds Bank or HSBC UK: which is bigger?
Lloyds Bank, with turnover of £34,528m against £16,474m at HSBC UK on their latest filings. On margin, HSBC UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Lloyds Bank or Santander UK: which is bigger?
Lloyds Bank, with turnover of £34,528m against £12,309m at Santander UK on their latest filings. On margin, Lloyds Bank keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Lloyds Bank or TSB: which is bigger?
Lloyds Bank, with turnover of £34,528m against £2,130m at TSB on their latest filings. On margin, TSB keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Lloyds Bank or Metro Bank: which is bigger?
Lloyds Bank, with turnover of £34,528m against £864m at Metro Bank on their latest filings. On margin, Lloyds Bank keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
NatWest or Barclays UK: which is bigger?
NatWest, with turnover of £23,714m against £14,664m at Barclays UK on their latest filings. On margin, NatWest keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
NatWest or HSBC UK: which is bigger?
NatWest, with turnover of £23,714m against £16,474m at HSBC UK on their latest filings. On margin, HSBC UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
NatWest or Santander UK: which is bigger?
NatWest, with turnover of £23,714m against £12,309m at Santander UK on their latest filings. On margin, NatWest keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
NatWest or TSB: which is bigger?
NatWest, with turnover of £23,714m against £2,130m at TSB on their latest filings. On margin, NatWest keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
NatWest or Metro Bank: which is bigger?
NatWest, with turnover of £23,714m against £864m at Metro Bank on their latest filings. On margin, NatWest keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Barclays UK or HSBC UK: which is bigger?
HSBC UK, with turnover of £16,474m against £14,664m at Barclays UK on their latest filings. On margin, HSBC UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit. The full head to head is in the VS Series. Read the VS page →
Barclays UK or Santander UK: which is bigger?
Barclays UK, with turnover of £14,664m against £12,309m at Santander UK on their latest filings. On margin, Barclays UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Barclays UK or TSB: which is bigger?
Barclays UK, with turnover of £14,664m against £2,130m at TSB on their latest filings. On margin, Barclays UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Barclays UK or Metro Bank: which is bigger?
Barclays UK, with turnover of £14,664m against £864m at Metro Bank on their latest filings. On margin, Barclays UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
HSBC UK or Santander UK: which is bigger?
HSBC UK, with turnover of £16,474m against £12,309m at Santander UK on their latest filings. On margin, HSBC UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
HSBC UK or TSB: which is bigger?
HSBC UK, with turnover of £16,474m against £2,130m at TSB on their latest filings. On margin, HSBC UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
HSBC UK or Metro Bank: which is bigger?
HSBC UK, with turnover of £16,474m against £864m at Metro Bank on their latest filings. On margin, HSBC UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Santander UK or TSB: which is bigger?
Santander UK, with turnover of £12,309m against £2,130m at TSB on their latest filings. On margin, TSB keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Santander UK or Metro Bank: which is bigger?
Santander UK, with turnover of £12,309m against £864m at Metro Bank on their latest filings. On margin, Santander UK keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
TSB or Metro Bank: which is bigger?
TSB, with turnover of £2,130m against £864m at Metro Bank on their latest filings. On margin, TSB keeps more of each £100 as pre-tax profit.
Where do these figures come from?
Each company's latest accounts filed at Companies House. Each links to its full Spark Intel profile, which names the filing it comes from.
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