Branch banking is the traditional model of banking through physical locations. A single bank operates multiple branches across a city, state, or country — each offering services like deposits, withdrawals, loans, and account management to local customers.
The world's largest branch networks: State Bank of India (22,000+ branches), Agricultural Bank of China (23,000+), and JPMorgan Chase (4,700+ in the US). India alone has over 150,000 bank branches — one of the densest branch networks globally.
Branch banking is evolving. While digital banking reduces the need for physical branches, banks are not eliminating them entirely — they are transforming them into advisory centers focused on complex services (mortgages, wealth management, business banking) while routine transactions shift to apps and ATMs.