A central bank is a public institution, usually connected by some affiliation or close regulation to government authorities, which manages a national or international currency, including printing money and setting interest rates. This can be a headquarters office or a regional branch of a central bank.

Its monetary responsibilities distinguish the institution from a government ministry concerned with public administration. The central bank manages currency and monetary conditions; a finance ministry is concerned with government revenue and expenditure. The exact division of responsibilities depends on the monetary system.

A commercial bank provides banking services to its customers. A central bank has responsibilities for the currency or monetary system itself, and its regional offices are parts of that institution even when policy decisions are made at its headquarters. Its area of responsibility can include more than one country.