SBP Governor Says Pakistan's Financial Inclusion Reached 71%, Gender Gap Down to 27%

SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad said on 3 November 2026 that financial inclusion in Pakistan has reached 71% and the gender gap has narrowed to 27%. He said it while opening a four-day green finance programme in Islamabad with the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, a network of central banks. The 27% figure is lower than the 29% gap SBP gave for 2025 three weeks earlier.

We read the SBP press release of 3 November 2026 on 4 November, and compared it with SBP's earlier releases on the Banking on Equality policy and the Financial Inclusion Index. The release does not define how the 71% and 27% were measured. Below is what was said, how it fits with SBP's other numbers, and which schemes women, farmers and small businesses can actually use.

SBP puts financial inclusion at 71% and the gender gap at 27%

The governor's two headline numbers are 71% financial inclusion and a 27% gender gap. The gender gap is the difference between the share of men and the share of women who use formal financial services. SBP's release gives no year, survey or definition for either figure.

The 59.5 is not a percentage of adults. It is a score on SBP's own index, built from dozens of indicators of access, use and quality. So 71% and 59.5 measure different things and should not be compared directly. The 27% and 29% gaps may also come from different sources or dates. Until SBP publishes the basis, treat 27% as the governor's latest stated figure.

The Islamabad programme brought 38 officials from 24 countries

The occasion was the SBP and Alliance for Financial Inclusion Joint Learning Program on Inclusive Green Finance Policy Implementation. It runs for four days in Islamabad. SBP says 38 participants from central banks and regulators of 24 countries, on four continents, are attending. It is the first time this programme has been held in Pakistan.

The governor linked climate risk and financial exclusion. He said smallholder farmers, small firms and low-income households are the most exposed to climate shocks and the least likely to have insurance, savings or formal loans. He cited the 2022 floods: about US$15 billion in physical damage, another US$15 billion in economic losses, more than 30 million people affected and 2.2 million homes damaged.

SBP listed five green and climate rules already in place

The governor named the rules SBP has issued so far. Banks must follow these when they lend, and they decide how a bank treats climate risk in a loan.

1. Green Banking Guidelines, 2017.
2. Environmental and Social Risk Management Framework, 2022.
3. Pakistan Green Taxonomy, a list that defines which activities count as green.
4. Regulations on climate-related financial risks.
5. Climate Stress Testing Guidelines, December 2025.

A stress test checks how a bank would cope with a shock, such as a flood that stops farm loans from being repaid. None of these rules creates a new loan product for customers on its own. They shape how banks price and choose loans.

Women, farmers and small firms can use these schemes now

The speech named women, farmers and small businesses as the focus. The governor mentioned the Pakistan Women Inclusive Finance Program, backed by the Asian Development Bank, and said Pakistan joined the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code in 2025, with SBP as the anchor for the finance industry. The release gives no application details for either.

These SBP-backed routes are already open and explained on our site:

• Women starting or growing a small business can look at the SBP guarantee for microfinance loans to women, which backs loans of Rs 25,000 to Rs 3 million.
• Banks have targets for women's accounts and staff under the Banking on Equality policy.
• Farmers have fixed rights on farm loan decisions under SBP rules.
• Small firms now apply for bank loans through SBP's SMEConnect portal, compulsory for SME finance applications from 1 November 2026.

What the 27% gap means for a woman opening an account

A smaller gap does not change any rule at your branch. A bank still needs your CNIC to open an account. Our guide on when a self-declaration of income is enough explains what a branch may and may not demand. If a branch refuses or delays you, complain to the bank in writing first, then to SBP.

The governor said success should be measured by implementation and its effect on people's lives. That is also the test readers can apply: whether a branch opens your account quickly and whether a woman-led business gets its loan decision on time.

Common questions

What did the SBP governor say about financial inclusion?

On 3 November 2026 he said financial inclusion in Pakistan has reached 71% and the gender gap has narrowed to 27%.

Is the gender gap 27% or 29%?

SBP gave 29% for 2025 on 13 October 2026. The governor said 27% on 3 November. SBP has not published the basis for the new figure, so the two may use different data.

Is the 71% the same as the Financial Inclusion Index?

No. The index is a score, 59.5 for 2025, built from many indicators. The 71% is a separate inclusion figure given in the speech.

What is the AFI programme in Islamabad?

A four-day joint learning programme on inclusive green finance, run by SBP and the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, with 38 participants from 24 countries.

Is there a new loan for women from this announcement?

No new loan was announced. Existing routes include the SBP guarantee for microfinance loans to women and bank targets under Banking on Equality.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the SBP press release of 3 November 2026 on 4 November 2026. The 29% and 59.5 figures come from SBP's releases of 13 October and 7 October 2026, as recorded in our earlier reports. SBP did not state the survey, year or definition behind the 71% and 27% figures, so we report them as the governor's statements.