Pakistan’s financial sector recorded major growth as the Banking System 6.8 Million new unique bank accounts were added during 2025. The development highlights strong progress in expanding access to formal banking services across the country.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan, the Banking System 6.8 Million accounts milestone was achieved under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2024–2028. The central bank reported that all annual targets for the first year were successfully met.
Women played a major role in this growth. Around 55 percent of the new account holders were female. This reflects improving financial access for women across Pakistan and a narrowing gender gap in banking services.
As a result of this expansion, the overall financial inclusion rate in Pakistan rose to 69 percent. The gender gap in financial access also reduced to 29 percent. Officials say this improvement shows steady progress toward a more inclusive banking environment.
The rise in account openings under the Banking System 6.8 Million initiative is also linked to the country’s shift toward digital finance. The State Bank highlighted the rapid adoption of mobile and digital banking tools as a key driver of growth.
One of the major developments during the year was the nationwide rollout of Raast Person-to-Merchant payments. This system enabled over two million merchants to accept digital payments through QR codes. It significantly improved cashless transactions across retail markets.
Pakistan also strengthened its financial infrastructure by introducing district-level dashboards. These dashboards track banking access, deposits, and credit activity in detail. The initiative places Pakistan among countries that actively publish detailed financial inclusion data.
Another important step was the launch of Zarkhez Asaan Digital Qarza. This digital agricultural lending platform has attracted participation from 21 banks. It has also registered around 10,000 merchants and more than 22,000 farmers. Financing approvals under the program have reached Rs. 1.9 billion.
The State Bank also introduced a Digital Scorecard Model to support affordable housing finance. This model aims to improve credit access for low-income and underserved groups across the country.
Out of 52 planned actions under the strategy, 10 have been fully completed. The remaining initiatives are progressing on schedule.
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The success of the Banking System 6.8 Million expansion reflects Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to modernize its financial system. Authorities plan to further expand digital banking, improve reporting systems, and bring more individuals into the formal economy.
