KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched the Pakistan Financial Inclusion Index (P-FII), revealing that the country’s overall financial inclusion level stands at 58.1 per cent for 2024.

According to an SBP report, the P-FII comprehensively measures the state of financial inclusion in the country by evaluating access, usage, and quality of financial services.

The development of financial inclusion indices is becoming a growing trend among central banks to assess the inclusivity, effectiveness, and outreach of financial sectors in serving the broader population.

SBP began developing the P-FII in 2023 with a research study to review the data parameters and methodologies used by various central banks and multilateral organisations.

This was followed by extensive consultations with both domestic and international stakeholders to refine and finalise the P-FII.

“To achieve this objective, SBP is implementing a comprehensive National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) for the 2024-28 period to broaden access to financial services nationwide and enhance their usage and quality,” the SBP said. “As outlined in this strategy, the development of P-FII underscores SBP’s commitment to informed, evidence-based policymaking,” it added.

The P-FII offers a detailed evaluation of financial inclusion across 69 indicators, covering banking, non-banking, and payment services provided by banks and financial institutions. These indicators assess factors such as financial sector infrastructure, the usage of financial products and services, and the quality of those services. The index has been developed in line with international best practices, benchmarking each indicator against a defined target value that represents SBP’s projected outcome for 2030.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2026