Bank Capital Regulations Around the World: What Explains the Differences?
41 Pages Posted: 19 Jul 2016 Last revised: 21 Sep 2016
Date Written: July, 2016
Abstract
Despite the extensive attention that the Basel capital adequacy standards have received internationally, significant variation exists in the implementation of these standards across countries. Furthermore, a significant number of countries increase or decrease the stringency of capital regulations over time. The paper investigates the empirical determinants of the variation in the data based on the theories of bank capital regulation. The results show that countries with high average returns to investment and a high ratio of government ownership of banks choose less stringent capital regulation standards. Capital regulations may also be less stringent in countries with more concentrated banking sectors.
JEL Classification: G21, G28, F33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation