<ARTICLE>            9
<LEGEND>
     This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from the
     Consolidated  Statement  of  Financial  Condition  at  September  30,  1996
     (Unaudited)  and the  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for the nine
     months  ended  September  30,  1996  (Unaudited)  and is  qualified  in its
     entirety by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         921768
<NAME>                        BankAtlantic Bancorp, Inc.
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
<CURRENCY>                                     U.S. Dollars
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>               DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                  JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                    SEP-30-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                       1
<CASH>                            78901
<INT-BEARING-DEPOSITS>          1247897
<FED-FUNDS-SOLD>                      0
<TRADING-ASSETS>                      0
<INVESTMENTS-HELD-FOR-SALE>      615726
<INVESTMENTS-CARRYING>            65818
<INVESTMENTS-MARKET>              65818
<LOANS>                         1264616
<ALLOWANCE>                       19525
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                  2170480
<DEPOSITS>                      1352169
<SHORT-TERM>                     365431
<LIABILITIES-OTHER>               92676
<LONG-TERM>                      220477
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                 0
<PREFERRED>                           0
<COMMON>                            147
<OTHER-SE>                       139580
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES-AND-EQUITY>  2170480
<INTEREST-LOAN>                   69487
<INTEREST-INVEST>                 33884
<INTEREST-OTHER>                      0
<INTEREST-TOTAL>                 103371
<INTEREST-DEPOSIT>                37356
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                50326
<INTEREST-INCOME-NET>             53045
<LOAN-LOSSES>                      4264
<SECURITIES-GAINS>                 3946
<EXPENSE-OTHER>                   50572
<INCOME-PRETAX>                   19064
<INCOME-PRE-EXTRAORDINARY>        19064
<EXTRAORDINARY>                       0
<CHANGES>                             0
<NET-INCOME>                      11350
<EPS-PRIMARY>                      0.76
<EPS-DILUTED>                      0.72
<YIELD-ACTUAL>                     8.21
<LOANS-NON>                        6585
<LOANS-PAST>                        812
<LOANS-TROUBLED>                   3672
<LOANS-PROBLEM>                       0
<ALLOWANCE-OPEN>                  19000
<CHARGE-OFFS>                      5518
<RECOVERIES>                       1779
<ALLOWANCE-CLOSE>                 19525
<ALLOWANCE-DOMESTIC>              19525
<ALLOWANCE-FOREIGN>                   0
<ALLOWANCE-UNALLOCATED>            3991