Analysis of the efficiency of banks in Serbia and Montenegro using the DEA method

Abstract

The banking sector of a country plays a crucial role in the overall economy of a nation. The efficiency of banks is a critical factor in assessing their financial performance and competitiveness. The aim of this paper is to measure the relative efficiency of the commercial banks in Serbia and Montenegro by using the non-parametric methodology Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The efficiency of banks will be measured using DEA for two models with different input and output variables. The sample consists of banks from Serbia (21) and banks from Montenegro (11) for the period 2017-2022. According to the obtained results, there are four banks that are relatively efficient every year, two from Serbia and two from Montenegro (AIK banka and 3M banka according to the first model and Crnogorska komercijalna banka and Hipotekarna banka according to the second model). The findings from the paper are valuable for further use by regulators, policy makers and bank management who are expected to identify a sustainable business strategy in line with the company's capabilities.