Consumer Council research finds Northern Ireland lost 27% of bank branches in under three years

Northern Ireland lost 27% of its total bank branch network in less than three years, according to research published by the Consumer Council on 16 August 2023¹. The council, which describes itself as an independent body, said vulnerable consumers and those in rural areas are most impacted by the closures¹.

The research, titled Access to Banking Services in Northern Ireland, sets out the scale of the reduction in the branch network across the region¹. The council's own summary of the findings states:

The publication covers financial services, digitalisation and vulnerability, and is dated 16 August 2023¹. A full report and overview document accompanies the research¹.

The research does not set out a breakdown of closures by individual bank, town or county, and no figure for the number of branches remaining open is given in the published summary¹. The council has not reported which specific branches closed or the dates on which individual closures took effect¹.

Why it matters for households

The finding concerns the physical bank branch closures network in Northern Ireland, which households use for counter services, cash withdrawals and deposits, and face-to-face help with accounts and payments. A reduction of 27% in under three years means fewer locations where those services can be accessed in person¹.

The council identifies two groups as most affected: vulnerable consumers and those in rural areas¹. For people in rural parts of Northern Ireland, the loss of a local branch can mean travelling further to reach another one, where an alternative branch exists at all. For consumers who rely on in-person help, including those who are less confident with digital banking, the closures reduce the options available for routine transactions and problem-solving¹.

The research does not state how many households are affected, how far customers now have to travel, or what replacement services, such as Post Office counters or banking hubs, exist in the areas where branches have closed¹. Those details have not been reported in the published summary of the findings¹.

The figures sit alongside the wider picture of bank branch numbers and current accounts in Northern Ireland, where the practical question for households is which services remain accessible locally and which have moved online or to another town.

What happens next

The Consumer Council published the research on 16 August 2023¹. No further dates, consultations or commitments from banks or regulators are set out in the published material¹.