Opening an account is an important step, but it is only part of financial inclusion. The World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 shows that global account ownership rose from 51% of adults in 2011 to 79% in 2024. The publication year and measurement year are different, so the 79% figure should not be labelled a 2026 adoption rate. [1]

Findex also examines inactivity. Its figure list identifies 16% of account owners in India as having an inactive account, compared with an average of 4% across other low- and middle-income economies. These findings underline why account access and account use need separate attention.

For a fintech building an inclusion product, useful questions concern everyday tasks: can someone receive money, make a payment and understand the balance without unnecessary effort? Low fees, accessible support and clear instructions deserve testing alongside sign-up conversion. A service that succeeds at onboarding should also examine repeat use and reasons customers stop using it. The strongest inclusion story is one that distinguishes the number of accounts opened from evidence that those accounts help people manage their money.