As 2025 draws to a close, we’re highlighting some of our top blogs — whether by audience engagement, quality of writing, or timely subject matter — from the past year. Throughout the year, our blog continued to serve as a platform for relevant research, emerging evidence, and practical insights on how financial inclusion is evolving—and where it needs to go next.
This year’s blogs highlighted how financial inclusion is increasingly intertwined with some of the world’s most pressing challenges. From climate resilience and financial health to women’s economic empowerment, digital public infrastructure, and the future of micro and small enterprises, our 2025 content explored how inclusive finance can move beyond access to deliver stronger, more durable outcomes for people and communities.
1. AI's Promise: A New Era for Financial Inclusion
In this CGAP 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.
2. Banking on Progress: Why the Next Chapter of Financial Inclusion is so Important
New data from the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 reveals significant progress on financial inclusion. CGAP CEO Sophie Sirtaine and Accion President and CEO Michael Schlein reflect that while much has been achieved, challenges remain and new solutions are needed to help reach the last mile and to unlock the power of financial services for development.
3. Impact Pathfinder: Leveraging Evidence to Shape Financial Inclusion
In 2025, CGAP, in partnership with Dalberg, developed the Impact Pathfinder as part of a new outcome agenda for the financial inclusion community. The Impact Pathfinder makes existing evidence on financial inclusion more accessible and actionable.
4. Rebuilding Gaza’s Financial Sector: Lessons from Afghanistan
Rebuilding Gaza’s financial sector will be essential for recovery. Funders should strengthen institutions, restore liquidity, and support local capacity. We look at how Afghanistan's coordinated, locally-led reconstruction offers an example.
5. Innovation Requires New Skills – Are Regulators Hiring Accordingly?
Regulating innovation requires regulators to acquire new skillsets, most urgently around data and cybersecurity. Are they hiring experts in those fields? This CGAP analysis looks at leading innovative authorities providing some answers.
6. Building Climate-Resilient Microfinance: Lessons from Pakistan
In this blog, CGAP shares three key lessons in resilience from Pakistan’s microfinance sector to help other microfinance institutions (MFIs) avoid climate change undermining their operations and commitment to driving financial inclusion.
7. Why Merchants Still Choose Cash in Sub-Saharan Africa
Digital merchant payments remain limited in Sub-Saharan Africa because current systems impose costs, frictions, and risks that don’t align with the realities of informal, low-margin micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), making cash the more rational choice.
8. Six Ways Open Finance Can Drive Competition and Inclusion
Open finance can make financial markets more inclusive and competitive, but only if designed intentionally. In this blog, CGAP highlights six policy levers to ensure it benefits low-income and underserved people.
9. From Access to Agency: The Next Chapter in Women’s Financial Inclusion
Despite global progress, meaningful gender gaps in account ownership still persist in 65 economies. This blog unpacks new Findex 2025 data on women’s financial inclusion and identifies the opportunities ahead.
10. Celebrating 30 Years of Collaborative Impact
CGAP turned 30 this year. In this blog, we reflect on the progress made in advancing the lives of people living in poverty through financial inclusion over the past 30 years, and what comes next.
Add new comment