The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has published the country’s first National Financial Inclusion Indices, establishing a national baseline for tracking how adults and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) access, use and benefit from financial services. The pilot assessment gives financial inclusion a score of 59 out of 100 for adults, and 49 for MSMEs, pointing to broad basic access alongside gaps in active use, formal savings, rural reach and services for smaller businesses.

The Indices, which measure three dimensions of financial inclusion – access, usage and quality across payments, credit and savings, draw on data from both providers and users. The adult score comprises 62 for access, 51 for usage and 64 for quality. For MSMEs, the respective scores are 39, 64 and 43.

The findings reveal that 83% of adults hold bank cards, 77% use internet banking, and 86% are capable of making payments via mobile internet. Credit access is also high, with 98% of the population covered by credit bureau data and 80% of new retail loans processed automatically. However, although 86% of adults hold a basic bank account, only 4% hold savings or time deposit accounts.

Uzbekistan’s gender gap in account ownership has been eliminated. Account ownership among women has reached 86%, matching the national average, while 6% hold savings or time deposits. However, a gap persists in credit utilization: just 19% of women hold active loan accounts.

In rural and remote areas, the financial inclusion index stands at 49 points. The primary barrier occurs at initial account opening, with only 21% of rural residents holding bank accounts.

For MSMEs, 24% hold active credit accounts and 68% are registered with the credit bureau. The pattern indicates that businesses already connected to formal finance can be active users, while overall reach and service conditions remain limited.

The pilot brings together more than 300 indicators selected and adapted following a review of over 1,600 indicators and 31 national and international measurement practices. The methodology was also validated by expert discussions involving AFI, the World Bank and IFC.

While the first Index assesses financial inclusion from the supply side, the next stage will add a demand-side dimension to the measurement system, based on surveys of households and businesses and on studies of consumer experience.

The Central Bank’s priorities include expanding simple savings products, increasing rural account ownership, reducing regional gaps, developing integrated digital services for SMEs, addressing debt burden risks, and expanding cash-flow-based business lending.

Read the full National Financial Inclusion Indices report.