Russia, China, Brazil and India had the world's most profitable banks in 2013, the annual report of the Bank for International Settlements has found.
Australian major banks were the most profitable in the OECD, though, with pre-tax profits equal to 1.28 per cent of assets last year, the BIS said.
Major banks in the US were almost as profitable as in Australia.
Only major banks in Canada also exceeded the one per cent ROA threshold.
The BIS said of its profit survey: "Outside the euro area, banks' pre-tax profits improved last year but remained generally below pre-crisis averages. Interest rate margins did not contribute as much as in previous years.
"They remained mostly flat globally, and in some cases even. Instead, lower credit-related costs were the main factor at work.
"Loan loss provisions have been declining in most countries, reflecting the economic recovery and progress in loss recognition.
"In the euro area, the picture was quite different. Profits remained lacklustre. Sovereign debt strains continued to affect asset quality, and a stagnating economy compressed revenues.
"Banks are stepping up their effort to deal with impaired balance sheets ahead of the ECB's asset quality review later this year, as witnessed by the recent spike in the write-off rate.
"Recent developments in the Chinese banking sector illustrate the benefits of retaining earnings as a buffer against losses."