The Central Bank of Egypt announced on Thursday that the country’s financial inclusion rate increased to 79% by the end of June 2026, with 56.4 million citizens aged 15 and above holding active financial accounts out of a total of 71.4 million, reflecting continued progress in expanding access to formal financial services across the country.
The active accounts include bank accounts, postal accounts, mobile wallets and prepaid cards.
The CBE attributed the progress to its continued efforts, in co-operation with the financial sector, to broaden financial inclusion and improve access to financial services for all segments of society, the bank said in a statement.
Women’s financial inclusion also hiked by 327% from 19.1% in 2016 to 72.5% by the end of June 2026, while the rate among young people aged 15-35 rose by 85% from 36.3% in 2020 to 58% by June 2026.
The progress was supported by programmes designed to promote the economic empowerment of women and young people and increase the participation of the most vulnerable groups in the formal financial system.
The bank said these results reflect the success of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025, developed in coordination with relevant ministries and institutions, with financial inclusion indicators recording overall growth of 229% between 2016 and June 2026.
These achievements were also supported by initiatives including the Presidential Decent Life, the Small Farmers Support Programme, and programmes targeting women and youth in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Council for Women.
The Central Bank is currently preparing the second National Financial Inclusion Strategy for 2026-2030 in partnership with relevant ministries and institutions.
The strategy adopts a comprehensive approach that extends beyond expanding access to financial services to promoting their safe, effective and sustainable use, supporting entrepreneurs and businesses, and integrating the informal economy into the formal sector.
