Iran’s banking system is grappling with numerous problems, raising concerns over their future. International statistics show that Iran’s ranking in banking management is not very noteworthy. In terms of soundness of banks, Iran ranked 104th out of 144 countries in 2012, 121st in 2013 and 125th in 2014, according to an article published on Banker news website, citing the World Economic Forum data. For ease of access to loans, Iran ranked 141st out of 144 countries in 2012, 144th in 2013 and 141st in 2014. In terms of availability of financial services, Iran’s ranking in 2012, 2013 and 2014 stood at 135, 137, and 135, respectively. For affordability of financial services, Iran similarly recorded unimpressive rankings of 128, 135 and 130 respectively for 2012, 2013 and 2014. The declining trend of Iran’s ranking in the said areas during the past three years raises questions regarding the future of banking industry and the characteristics they need to acquire to survive.
