Central Bank of Egypt Reports Major Gains in Financial Inclusion Ahead of New Strategy

The Cent Bank of Egypt (CBE) has formally announced significant milestones achieved under its developmental blueprint, setting new targets that extend from the close of 2025 into 2026 to further enhance national financial and monetary inclusion. This ongoing effort is supported by the formulation of the Second Financial Inclusion Strategy, which is scheduled to cover the 2026-2030 period, building upon the results of its predecessor.

The initial strategy, implemented from 2028 to 2035, successfully propelled Egypt's overall financial inclusion rate to 77.6% by the end of 2025. This figure represents 54.7 million active financial accounts among citizens aged 15 and over, drawn from an eligible population base of 70.5 million individuals. This expansion marks a substantial 219% growth rate in the overall inclusion rate between 2016 and 2025.

Targeted demographic progress has been notable. The financial inclusion rate for women increased from 19.1% in 2016 to 71.4% by the end of 2025, reflecting a 316% increase over the period. Concurrently, the rate for youth aged 15 to 35 years climbed from 36.3% in 2020 to 56.8% in 2025, an increase of 79%. These gains stem from focused programs designed to integrate previously underserved segments into the formal financial ecosystem.

Complementing these metrics, the CBE's Business Development Service (BDS) Hubs, operating under the NilePreneurs initiative, provided extensive non-financial support between 2020 and 2025. These 132 hubs, located across 25 Egyptian governorates, delivered over 1.16 million non-financial services and consultations to approximately 502,000 young people, entrepreneurs, and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), including 210,000 women beneficiaries. These advisory efforts resulted in EGP 19 billion being channeled into over 14,000 projects through the participation of 18 banks.

Looking ahead, the CBE is preparing a dedicated financial inclusion package valued at EGP 10 billion, scheduled for launch in the first half of 2026, specifically targeting emerging companies in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance. The priorities for the forthcoming 2026-2030 strategy include expanding digital financial services, promoting sustainable financing instruments for a green economy transition, and strengthening consumer protection frameworks. The development of this next phase involves coordination with several governmental bodies, including the Ministries of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and Communications and Information Technology.