The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) today released the first edition of Monthly Banking Statistics.

The statistics replace and improve on data that had been previously available from APRA.

As the direct product of consultation with the banking industry in early 2004, the publication contains select information on the banking business of individual banks within the Australian market, including high-level breakdowns of the domestic assets and liabilities for each bank. It also provides detailed information on loans and advances to and deposits of different sectors of the economy as well as information on securitisation activity.

APRA envisages that Monthly Banking Statistics will provide greater market transparency and become a standard component of the analyst’s toolkit in assessing individual institutions.

APRA will release the publication in electronic format on the last business day of each month. The first release of Monthly Banking Statistics contains data for March, April and May 2004.

Copies of the Monthly Banking Statistics are available on APRA’s website at: http://www.apra.gov.au/Statistics/Monthly-Banking-Statistics.cfm

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is the prudential regulator of the financial services industry.It oversees banks, credit unions, building societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry.APRA is funded largely by the industries that it supervises.It was established on 1 July 1998.APRA currently supervises institutions holding approximately $1.7 trillion in assets for 20 million Australian depositors, policyholders and superannuation fund members.