Carmen Álvarez Cuadrado
With €51 million in profit, the Vatican bank, also known as the IOR, has broken its record for the last decade. The data comes from the IOR itself. Even at the short term, this year's yield represents a 55.5% increase over the previous year’s earnings.
And the greater the profits, greater also is the amount the pope allocates to charity—76.1% more than in 2024. This means that Pope Leo XIV will have €24.3 million available to support religious works and social assistance projects.
According to the Vatican bank, the strong results are thanks to several factors. Reforms aimed at increasing financial transparency and preventing corruption are of course at the forefront.
In a statement, the Vatican bank highlighted the following:
Over recent years, they have increasingly recognised the IOR as a reliable partner, also as a result of the strengthening of governance, internal control frameworks, tax transparency, the implementation of the digital offering, and the Institute’s capital strength.
Another reason for growth is a new management strategy based on safer investments, avoiding risky assets. Generational change within the workforce, together with digitalization, has also led to greater efficiency.
