Central Bank’s complaint index for April 2026: Yapı Kredi and Unibank on the top of the cooling anti-ranking

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan published the complaint index for banking customers for April 2026 only in early June - with a noticeable delay from the usual schedule, which meant the anti-ranking had to be awaited longer than usual.

The regulator did not explain the reasons for the delay, but the data itself is no less interesting because of it.

The April report paints an unusual picture.

In recent months, the anti-ranking has been driven by vivid storylines - record-high indices, Bank BTB’s exit from the banking market, the mysterious silence of Bank Avrasiya, and changes in anti-leaders. But in April, for the first time in 17 months of observation, something resembling a relative calm has set in (let us hope it is not the calm before the storm).

The anti-ranking has cooled down

The main observation: the April anti-ranking is the softest in the entire history of our monitoring.

The table leader - Yapı Kredi Bank has an index of just 1.92. To put this in perspective: just in January of this year, the anti-leader showed 6.89, in February - 3.36, in March - 2.64.

This is the first time we have recorded a value below 2.0 for the anti-ranking leader.

The range of indices in April is 0.31 - 1.92. For comparison, in January it was 0.26 -6.89. The difference is almost tenfold.

It appears that with the departure of Bank BTB from the sector, reorganized into a non-bank credit organization, and the disappearance of Bank Avrasiya from the anti-ranking, having curtailed its active operations in the market, the overall level of tension in the anti-ranking has noticeably decreased.

The banking sector seems to have exhaled. 

Yapı Kredi Bank: a familiar face at the top

For those who have been following the anti-ranking only since the beginning of 2026, the appearance of Yapı Kredi Bank in first place may seem unexpected, especially since the bank was not on the list at all in March. However, for readers of First News Intelligence Unit materials, this return will not come as a surprise. Yapı Kredi already topped the anti-ranking twice in 2025 - in January with an index of 2.92 and in April with an index of 3.27.

A characteristic feature of this bank in this context is its volatility. It can top the anti-ranking, then drop to the middle of the table or disappear from it entirely, and then return to the top again.

Unlike chronic presence in the upper ranks, such a pattern may indicate situational problems - spikes related to specific products or campaigns, rather than systemic shortcomings in customer service.

Expressbank: moving in the right direction

After four months of continuous ‘growth’ - from 0.90 in December to 3.01 in February and anti-leadership in March, Expressbank is showing reverse dynamics. The bank dropped from 1st to 3rd place, and the dissatisfaction index decreased from 2.64 to 1.82.

This is the first truly positive signal after the alarming trend at the turn of the year. Of course, one month is not enough to speak of a trend reversal, but the direction is encouraging.

Azər-Türk Bank: are hopes being justified?

Perhaps the most positive story of April is Azər-Türk Bank.

After three months of continuous deterioration that brought the bank to 2nd place in March, in April it dropped sharply to 9th position with an index of 1.07 - almost half the March figure.

Recall that in our previous review, we expressed hope that the bank’s new management team would pay special attention to the quality of handling customer complaints. The April figures provide grounds for cautious optimism, although, of course, one month is not yet a trend.

Unibank: an unexpected leap

Unibank had consistently held 5th place for three previous months - a kind of ‘permanent residence’ in the middle of the upper half of the table. In April, this stability was broken: the bank jumped straight to 2nd place in the anti-ranking with an index of 1.88.

This is Unibank’s highest position in the anti-ranking for the entire period of our monitoring, and it deserves attention in future issues.

AFB Bank and Bank Avrasiya: two different silences

Two banks that were recently in the upper ranks are absent from the April anti-ranking.

AFB Bank, which held 2nd place in January (3.83), demonstrated a consistent decline - 2.95 in February, 1.45 in March - and has now completely disappeared from the list.

The dynamics look like the result of targeted work on the problem, although final conclusions require waiting for the coming months.

Bank Avrasiya has been absent for a third consecutive month. After the record January index of 6.89 - complete silence. The exact reason will become clearer after the publication of audited financial statements for 2025 and further observations.

However, it is obvious that Bank Avrasiya is not a classic bank with an extensive customer base and active market operations. We have already written about this.

We will continue to observe.

Movement in the middle and bottom of the table

In the middle part of the table, a noticeable deterioration in positions is observed for several banks at once.

Bank of Baku rose from 10th to 4th place (1.63), Rabitəbank - from 8th to 6th (1.46), Bank Respublika - from 12th to 7th (1.11). All three banks shifted toward the red zone, and if the trend continues, this will become a separate subject of analysis.

Unusual volatility is observed at Bank VTB Azərbaycan: in February - 11th place (1.10), in March - last 17th (0.41), in April - 8th (1.10). Such fluctuations are atypical and may indicate instability in the flow of complaints.

At the opposite pole - Premium Bank, which after an unexpected return to 4th place in March (1.73) dropped sharply to 14th (0.65), returning to the comfortable green zone.

At the bottom of the table - the return of Ziraat Bank Azərbaycan, which took last, 17th place with an index of 0.31. The bank had been absent from the anti-ranking for a long time.

Nearby - Turanbank (16th place, 0.32) and PAŞA Bank (15th place, 0.52).

PAŞA Bank still has not left the green zone in 17 months of monitoring - a stability record of sorts.

CBA disclaimer - now permanent

The regulator’s disclaimer that the complaint index does not pose a threat to the financial stability or operations of banks has been retained in the April report as well. What looked like a reaction to growing attention to the anti-ranking in March has now, apparently, become a permanent element of the report.

Dynamics of key banks (January - April 2026)

«-» indicates absence from the ranking (zero complaints for the month). Positions in the ranking are in parentheses.

What’s next

The April anti-ranking shows that Azerbaijan’s banking sector is possibly entering a new phase - without chronic record holders, with a more compact and even distribution of complaints among banks. This is good news for the sector as a whole.

However, this is not a reason to relax for banks that consistently linger in the upper half of the table: even with a ‘cooled-down’ anti-ranking, landing in the red zone remains a signal worth paying attention to.

First News Intelligence Unit will continue its monthly monitoring of the complaint index, paying special attention to banks occupying the top spots in the anti-ranking.

First News Intelligence Unit (FNIU) - an analytical division of the 1news.az editorial team, specializing in research on Azerbaijan’s financial sector and economy.

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Индекс жалоб ЦБА за апрель 2026: Yapı Kredi и Unibank возглавили «остывающий» антирейтинг

AMB-nin şikayət indeksi (aprel 2026): “Yapı Kredi” və “Unibank” ‘’soyuyan’’ antireytinqin zirvəsinə qalxıblar