KARACHI: Pakistan has increased women’s financial inclusion from 4% in 2018 to 52% in 2025, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said on Wednesday, calling the shift a major step toward closing the country’s long-standing gender gap in access to formal financial services.
The progress comes after years of structural constraints in Pakistan, where women have historically been excluded from banking channels due to cultural norms, low workforce participation and limited access to credit. Improving women’s access to financial services has been a central priority under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, which aims to expand the use of bank accounts, digital payments, savings tools and small-business financing.
Global institutions including the World Economic Forum, OECD and McKinsey have repeatedly underscored that economies grow faster when women participate fully in the workforce and financial system. Pakistan has traditionally lagged behind regional peers, making the gains recorded this year significant even as major barriers persist at higher levels of business financing and leadership.
“As a result of our collective efforts, women’s financial inclusion has risen from 4% to 52%, and we have succeeded in narrowing the gender gap from 47% in 2018 to 30% in 2025,” Ahmad said in a speech marking Pakistan Women Entrepreneurship Day.
