In 2025, the conviction of HSBC’s broader business transformation was most clearly expressed in Hong Kong. In the year marking its 160th anniversary in the city, the bank doubled down on its home and highest returning market, announcing the privatisation of Hang Seng Bank. This move, completed in early 2026, reinforces HSBC’s leadership while advancing a simpler, more agile franchise.
Already the largest bank in Hong Kong by a considerable margin, HSBC extended that lead through disciplined execution and sustained growth. In 2025, it added more than one million new customers, taking its total customer base to over seven million. The expansion was achieved without diluting the strength of its customer proposition, highlighting the scalability of its platform.
That growth is matched by exceptional efficiency. HSBC generated returns exceeding 35% on tangible equity, a reflection of its dominant deposit base and highly efficient operating model.
Wealth is an increasingly important engine of growth for HSBC in Hong Kong. As the city reinforces its position as a leading international wealth centre, the bank is capitalising on its scale, connectivity and integrated investments and insurance platform to attract new clients and deepen existing relationships.
In 2025, HSBC added more than 1.1 million new wealth customers in Hong Kong, evidence of its ability to translate market opportunity into durable franchise growth.
These strengths are reinforced by unmatched institutional capabilities, especially in debt capital markets, financing and transaction banking. In 2025 HSBC ranked first in G3 bond issuance for Hong Kong borrowers, maintained leadership in Hong Kong dollar markets and held leading positions in cash management and trade finance, placing it at the centre of the capital, trade and liquidity flows that connect Hong Kong with global markets.
HSBC’s combination of scale, efficiency, growth and connectivity continues to set it apart in Hong Kong, reinforcing its position as the territory’s preeminent banking franchise.
