Competition in the Swedish Banking Sector

Abstract: This thesis aims to evaluate the competitive situation in the Swedish banking sector. The banking sector in Sweden is characterized by its high degree of concentration, with four major banks controlling a large share of the market. Combined with high profits and high interest margins, this has raised concerns regarding the competitive pressures in the sector. Many existing theories in the literature try to evaluate competition based on market structure, however modern research concludes that high concentration does not necessarily imply less competition. By using a model that estimates the elasticity of factor input prices, the competitive behavior among the market players can be assessed and the results reveal a less competitive situation on the Swedish market compared to previous research within the field of banking competition.