Zambia's financial inclusion reaches 80.1 percent
Bank of Zambia Governor Denny H Kalyalya announced that Zambia has reached a financial inclusion milestone of 80.1 percent in 2025. He presented the top-line findings of the 2025 FinScope Survey on April 30, 2026.
Inclusion journey accelerates
Zambia has achieved a significant financial inclusion milestone, with 80.1 percent of adults now having access to formal and informal financial services in 2025.
This marks a substantial increase from 69.4 percent in 2020 and 33.7 percent in 2005.
This progress is attributed to sustained policy commitment and collaborative efforts across the financial sector.
Key initiatives included payments system modernisation, rapid expansion of mobile money and agent banking, proportionate licensing, and strengthened consumer protection frameworks.
Targeted reforms for digital financial services, interoperability, and financial consumer literacy have been crucial in extending access to previously excluded populations, particularly women, youth, and rural households.
The 2025 FinScope Survey also reveals a notable reduction in the gender gap, narrowing to 2.2 percentage points from 3.2 percentage points in 2020.
Furthermore, rural financial health has seen a more than threefold increase, rising from 11.3 percent in 2020 to 37.6 percent in 2025.
The national level of financial health reached 39.1 percent in 2025, a significant rise from 13.6 percent in 2020.
Data for a stronger financial system
The FinScope Survey provides crucial demand-side insights for financial sector regulators, revealing how individuals make financial choices and where vulnerabilities persist.
This perspective is vital in an era of rapid digitalisation, ensuring financial access translates into safe, sustained usage of appropriate and trusted products.
The survey directly informs four strategic priorities of the Bank of Zambia: strengthening financial stability through household resilience, guiding payments system modernisation, bolstering consumer protection and market conduct, and supporting proportionate regulation for innovation in financial services.
These insights help balance innovation with consumer safeguarding and systemic integrity.
Beyond the numbers, a call to action
Zambia's 80.1 percent financial inclusion is a strong achievement, but the 39.1 percent national financial health level shows much remains.
The FinScope Survey provides critical data, yet its value depends on stakeholders translating insights into practical solutions for sustainability and affordability.
This report is a vital diagnostic, demanding sustained, collaborative efforts for a truly inclusive and resilient financial system.