Australian Prudential Regulation Authority

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) wasestablished 25 years ago as an independent statutory authority that supervisesinstitutions across banking, insurance and superannuation, and is accountableto the Australian Parliament.

When APRA opened its doors on 1 July 1998, the value ofassets managed by entities supervised by APRA was $1.1 trillion. This has grownto $8.6 trillion in assets for Australian depositors, policyholders andsuperannuation fund members.

Now, APRA regulates 1,790 financial institutions, including:

More information is available in the 2025-26 Corporate Plan.

APRA's role

Prudential regulation is concerned with maintaining thesafety and soundness of financial institutions, so that the community can haveconfidence that they will meet their financial commitments under all reasonablecircumstances.

Under thelegislation that APRA administers, APRA is tasked with protecting theinterests of depositors, policyholders and superannuation fund members.  

APRA promotes financial system stability by working closelywith the Australian Treasury,the Reserve Bank of Australia, andthe Australian Securities and InvestmentsCommission.

Financial Claims Scheme

While APRA seeks to reduce the likelihood of a financialinstitution failing, it cannot, and does not, guarantee that failure may neveroccur. In the unlikely event an APRA-regulated institution were to fail, APRAhas the role of administering the Financial Claims Scheme whenactivated by the Australian Government. This Scheme allows depositors of afailed deposit-taker to access their funds (up to a limit) in a timely manner,or provides general insurance policyholders with access to funds (up to alimit) to meet an eligible claim.

Statistical agency

APRA is also the national statistical agency for thefinancial sector, collecting data both for its own uses and on behalf of theReserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. We regularlyaggregate and publish this data, including by industry.

Our purpose

Our purpose is to ensure Australians' financial interestsare protected and that the financial system is stable, competitive andefficient.

Our vision

Our vision is focused on two strategic themes: Protectedtoday, prepared for tomorrow.

Our values

Our values underpin the critical role we play inprotecting the financial wellbeing of the Australian community. In all ourwork, we seek to demonstrate:

Our supervisory approach

Our supervisory approach is forward-looking, primarilyrisk-based, consultative, consistent and in line with international best practice. This approach also recognises that management and boards ofsupervised institutions are primarily responsible for financial soundness.