The EBA observes a slight increase of high earners in EU banks for 2017

11 March 2019

The EBA published its report on high earners for 2017. The data shows that the number of high earners in EU banks receiving a remuneration of more than EUR 1 million slightly increased from 4 597 in 2016 to 4 859 in 2017.

The largest population of high earners in the EU of 3 567 is located in the United Kingdom  (73.27% of the total number of high earners) and most of them are remunerated in GBP. Most of the Member States across the EU have registered an increase in the number of high earners and only a few of them have witnessed a high slight decrease.

The average ratio of variable to fixed remuneration for all high earners in the EU continued to fall from 104% in 2016 to 101.08% in 2017 (118% in 2015; 123% in 2014).

In the business area of asset management, the average ratio of variable to fixed remuneration increased from 358% in 2016 to 402% in 2017, still exceeding by far the maximum ratio of 200%. Several Member States allow the application of waivers for staff in this business area, although the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD IV) does not explicitly provide for this possibility.

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