PROGRESS IN GLOBAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION STALLS AFTER TWO YEARS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT, ACCORDING TO THE 2025 RESEARCH STUDY FROM PRINCIPAL®

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Financial inclusion, which improved globally over the last two years, plateaued in 2025, according to the latest Global Financial Inclusion Index (the Index) from Principal Financial Group®. The findings mark an inflection point, with business uncertainty arising from shifting global trade dynamics and geopolitical tensions driving companies to provide measures supporting financial inclusion, such as flexible pay or more generous insurance and pension benefits. In response, the data shows governments and financial systems stepping in to help advance financial inclusion.

Now in its fourth year, the Index, conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and Principal®, examines how governments, financial systems, and employers enable greater levels of financial inclusion across 42 markets. The report provides a comprehensive and comparative evaluation of financial inclusion on a global scale, ranking markets on a relative basis in addition to an absolute score. Singapore ranks as the world’s most financially inclusive market – a position it has held since the Index launched.