The funds that protect depositors in the event of a bank's bankruptcy reached 85 billion euros in the European Union by the end of 2025, according to data published by the European Banking Authority. The money comes from banks' contributions to national deposit guarantee schemes and is ready for the reimbursement of clients if a banking institution can no longer return deposits.
In short The available funds of the EU deposit guarantee schemes reached 85 billion euros by the end of 2025.
Covered deposits increased by 2.9%, reaching 9.1 trillion euros.
The funds of the schemes grew faster, by 4.9%, as some states continued to build reserves above the minimum level.
Deposits are guaranteed up to 100,000 euros per depositor and per bank.
32 out of the 33 guarantee schemes in the EU are at or above the legal minimum threshold.
Deposit guarantee schemes are a safety net for bank clients. If a bank goes bankrupt, the national scheme must reimburse eligible deposits up to 100,000 euros for each depositor, at each bank. The protection covers deposits of individuals and businesses, within the limits set by European legislation.
The European Banking Authority shows that all national deposit guarantee schemes in the European Union reached the minimum level required by the Deposit Guarantee Schemes Directive by the end of 2024. The threshold is 0.8% of covered deposits, and the legal deadline for reaching it was July 3, 2024.
By the end of 2025, 32 of the 33 schemes in the European Union were at or above this threshold. Only one scheme is below the minimum level, following a recent reimbursement to depositors.
The available funds increased by 4.9% in 2025 and reached 85 billion euros. The growth was faster than that of covered deposits, which rose by 2.9%, reaching 9.1 trillion euros. The difference shows that some schemes continued to build reserves above the required minimum level.
The money does not come from public budgets, but from banks' contributions. All banks in the European Union must contribute to the national deposit guarantee scheme in the country where they operate. These funds are primarily used for reimbursing depositors within seven days of a bank's bankruptcy.
Schemes can also obtain additional funding if the funds already raised are not sufficient. The European Banking Authority mentions extraordinary contributions from banks and access to short-term financing.
The annual publication of this data aims to show how prepared the national schemes are for a potential bank failure. The information is relevant for depositors, markets, authorities, and governments, as confidence in the banking system also depends on the ability to quickly reimburse protected funds.
The published data covers the 27 member states of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein, which are part of the European Economic Area.
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