Number of EU banks down in 2013: ECB

(FRANKFURT) - The number of domestic banks and credit institutions in Europe and the eurozone declined in 2013, confirming a down-trend seen for a number of years, new data showed on Friday.

According to data compiled by the European Central Bank, the number of banks and credit institutions in the European Union fell to 198,744 in 2013 from 217,699 in 2012.

In the single currency area, the number fell to 163,171 from 171,792.

"The structural indicators show that, in most EU Member States, the downward trend in the number of branches and bank employees of domestic credit institutions observed in previous years has continued," the ECB said in a statement.

In the EU, the number of people employed by banks fell to 2.93 million in 2013 from 3.027 million in 2012.

In the eurozone, the number fell to 2.027 million from 2.113 million.

The ECB calculated that the total assets of domestic banks and credit institutes in the EU amounted to 2.289 trillion euros ($3.1 trillion) in 2013, down from 2.742 trillion in 2012.

In the 18 countries that share the euro, the total assets declined to 1.132 trillion euros from 1.444 trillion euros, the data showed.