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Making financial services meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable
People living in poverty constantly juggle an evolving set of risks and crises in their daily lives. Climate change, the pandemic, and the ongoing food crisis, among others, have increased these risks substantially, contributing to a rise in global poverty and inequality. Meanwhile, a third of the world’s adult population lacks the financial services they could use to significantly improve their lives. CGAP is working to change this, and we believe that positive trends in inclusive finance offer hope for a green, resilient, and inclusive future.
In CGAP's latest leadership essay, CEO Sophie Sirtaine explores the vast potential of AI for greater financial inclusion, while highlighting the importance of managing its inherent risks carefully and proactively.
As financial systems evolve, so must the tools for oversight. Suptech is helping supervisors harness better data, spot trends (including by gender), and guide smarter decisions. Countries like Rwanda are showing how tech can drive more inclusive, effective financial systems.
CGAP's Impact Pathfinder provides insights into the role of financial services in building the resilience of vulnerable populations and small businesses globally.
Inclusive credit fintech can help address the US$4.9 trillion global credit gap for MSEs. However, early-stage fintechs face significant challenges in securing diverse funding sources. This focus note explores financing strategies for inclusive credit fintech in Africa, highlighting recent innovations and case studies. It also identifies knowledge gaps that hinder strategy design for international donors and impact investors eager to support digital innovations in MSE credit markets.
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Despite the growing body of evidence, significant gaps remain in understanding why financial services drive positive change and impact in some scenarios but not others. Financial Inclusion 2.0 aims to bridge these gaps.
Fragile countries are behind—and falling further behind—their nonfragile peers in measures of poverty and financial inclusion. Inclusive finance plays a critical role in building resilience for low-income people living in fragile contexts.
An inclusive financial system empowers vulnerable people to pursue their own climate resilience strategies, making it an absolute necessity for a just transition.
