Banco Santander facts for kids
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The main office of Banco Santander in the city of Santander, Spain
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Trade name
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Santander Group |
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| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=ES0113900J37 ES0113900J37] |
| Industry | Financial services |
| Founded | 15 May 1857 |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  €61.88 billion (2024) |
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Operating income
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€19.03 billion (2024) |
| €12.57 billion (2024) |
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| AUM | €498.3 billion (2024) |
| Total assets | €1.837 trillion (2024) |
| Total equity | €107.3 billion (2024) |
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Number of employees
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 206,753 (2024) |
Banco Santander, also known as the Santander Group, is a major Spanish bank that operates all over the world. It started in the city of Santander, but its main offices are now near Madrid.
Santander is one of the largest banks in the world. It provides many financial services, which means it helps people and businesses manage their money. This includes things like savings accounts, loans for houses or cars, and credit cards.
You might have seen its bright red logo. The company has grown so big that it has bought other banks, like Abbey National in the United Kingdom, and changed their names to Santander. Because it is so large and important, it is watched closely by the European Central Bank to make sure it is operating safely.
The bank is led by Ana Patricia Botín. Her father and grandfather were also in charge of the bank before her, making it a family legacy. In 2023, Forbes magazine ranked Santander as the 49th largest public company in the world.
Contents
History of the Bank
Banco Santander was founded a long time ago, in 1857. For many years, it was known as Banco de Santander.
A major change happened in 1999 when it joined with another large Spanish bank, Banco Central Hispano (BCH). The new, bigger bank was called Banco Santander Central Hispano (BSCH). The plan was for the leaders of both banks to share control. However, there were disagreements between the leaders. Eventually, the executives from BCH agreed to retire, and Emilio Botín from Santander took full control.
In 2007, the bank changed its name back to the simpler Banco Santander S.A.
Growing Around the World
Santander began to expand outside of Spain in the late 1990s and 2000s.
- 2004: Santander bought Abbey National, a large bank in the United Kingdom. This was a big step in becoming a major bank in Europe.
- 2007: The bank was part of a group that bought the Dutch bank ABN AMRO. Through this deal, Santander took over ABN AMRO's banks in Brazil and Italy.
- 2008: Santander continued to grow in the UK by buying Alliance & Leicester and parts of another bank called Bradford & Bingley. It later combined these with Abbey National to create Santander UK.
- 2008: The bank bought the parts of Sovereign Bank in the United States that it didn't already own. This gave Santander its first major bank for regular customers in the U.S. The bank was later renamed Santander Bank.
- 2010: Santander bought Bank Zachodni WBK in Poland, making it one of the biggest banks in that country.
Recent Changes
In recent years, Santander has focused on growing in new areas. In 2013, it bought a stake in the Bank of Shanghai to grow its business in Asia. The bank has also been working to expand in Latin America, especially in countries like Brazil and Mexico.
In 2019, Santander finished combining with Banco Popular Español, another Spanish bank it had bought in 2017. This meant all of Banco Popular's branches became Santander branches.
By 2024, Santander had launched a digital bank in the United States to provide more online services, like loans for cars.
Financial Data
This table shows how Santander has performed financially over the years. The numbers are in billions of Euros.
| Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
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| Revenue | 39.753 | 42.612 | 45.272 | 43.853 | 48.392 | 48.424 | 49.229 | 44.279 | 46.404 | 52.117 | 57.423 | 61.876 |
| Net Income | 5.409 | 7.024 | 7.819 | 7.892 | 8.963 | 9.315 | 8.116 | (7.708) | 8.124 | 9.605 | 11.076 | 12.574 |
| Assets | 1,115 | 1,266 | 1,340 | 1,339 | 1,444 | 1,459 | 1,522 | 1,508 | 1,595 | 1,734 | 1,797 | 1,837 |
| Employees | 182,958 | 185,405 | 193,863 | 188,492 | 202,251 | 202,713 | 196,419 | 191,189 | 199,177 | 206,462 | 212,764 | 206,753 |
Where Santander Operates
The Santander Group has banks and offices all over the world. It has over 14,000 branches and more than 100 million customers. Most of its business comes from retail banking, which serves everyday people rather than large corporations.
Key Markets
While Santander is a global bank, some countries are more important for its business than others. In 2023, its biggest markets were:
- Brazil (21.6%)
- Spain (17.4%)
- United States (12.3%)
- United Kingdom (11.2%)
- Mexico (10.2%)
The bank also has a strong presence in other European countries like Poland and Portugal, and in South America, particularly in Chile.
Global Reach
- Europe: Santander is a major bank in Spain, the UK, Poland, and Portugal. It also offers services in Germany, Italy, and the Scandinavian countries.
- The Americas: The bank is very active in North and South America. It has large operations in Brazil, Mexico, the U.S., Chile, and Argentina.
- Asia: Santander has been growing its presence in Asia, with offices in China (Shanghai and Beijing), Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Sponsoring Sports and Events
One of the ways Santander makes its brand famous is by sponsoring popular sports teams and events.
Football
For many years, Santander was the main sponsor of La Liga, Spain's top football league. The league was even called La Liga Santander. The bank also sponsored the UEFA Champions League, one of the biggest club football tournaments in the world. In South America, it has sponsored the Copa Libertadores since 2008.
Formula One Racing
Santander has a long history in Formula One racing. From 2007 to 2017, it sponsored the famous Ferrari and McLaren teams. In 2022, the bank returned to the sport as a premium sponsor for Ferrari. It was later announced that Santander would become an official partner of the Williams Racing team starting in 2025.
Images for kids
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A branch of Santander in Berlin, Germany
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A branch of Santander in Cardiff, Wales
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A branch of Santander in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
See also
In Spanish: Banco Santander para niños
- Inter-Alpha Group of Banks
- List of banking institutions of Europe
- List of banks in Spain
