Determinants of Technical Efficiency in Chinese Banking: A Double Bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to measure the technical efficiency level of the Chinese banking industry. It uses a double bootstrap data envelopment analysis approach to compute bias-corrected efficiency scores and investigate the determinants of bank efficiency in China between 2003 and 2010. We observe that Chinese commercial banks regardless of ownership have shown improved efficiency from 2003 to 2010. Our results show a significant difference in the performance between state-owned banks and joint-stock banks over the period analyzed. Moreover, the equity-to-asset ratio also significantly explains variations in inefficiency across Chinese commercial banks. Initial public offering is considered one of the effective ways to improve bank efficiency in China. Overall, the present study provides valuable empirical information that can be used to help guide deliberations regarding future reform policies.