The UK ranks 10th out of 42 countries in the 2025 Global Financial Inclusion Index from Principal Financial Group and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr).
The Index, in its fourth year, measures how governments, financial systems and employers support financial inclusion across three pillars.
The global Index score fell 0.2 points to 49.4, mainly because lower business confidence reduced employer support for benefits and guidance following two years of growth.
The UK’s ranking rose due to stronger government and financial system support. In particular, government measures improved consumer protection, increased participation in government-mandated savings schemes, and expanded access to financial education. Meanwhile, the UK remained 8th for financial system support, with improvements in business confidence, SME growth and borrower and lender protection rights.
Survey data showed that the share of UK adults who feel financially included increased from 59.4 per cent in 2024 to 67.6 per cent in 2025. Additionally, Cebr modelling indicates that higher financial literacy is linked to lower household loan defaults, improved debt-to-income ratios and modest GDP growth.
Cebr ranks the UK 24th globally for financial literacy, with 39 per cent of adults fully literate. And a 10-point increase could lower loan defaults, improve debt ratios and boost GDP growth by 0.3 percentage points over four years.
Principal Asset Management® chief global strategist Seema Shah says: “The U.K. government can confidently say that its efforts to make its society more financially inclusive are having an impact and, according to the data, are being felt by the electorate.
“Of course, financial inclusion is much more than a political issue – it is a cornerstone of greater economic resilience, which, in turn, is a component in attracting more international investment. After consecutive years of improvements, this was the first year that the overall financial inclusion score stalled globally.
“The main factor was a pullback in employer-driven financial inclusion across most markets, as macroeconomic pressures constrained companies’ ability to provide more robust benefits, guidance, and flexibility. Richer economies and markets that have invested in structural measures—from digitising their banking infrastructure to rolling out financial literacy campaigns—enable greater access to and understanding of financial tools have built a more resilient framework for financial inclusion. In turn, this helps create a stronger foundation for economic resilience and, ultimately, promotes growth and attracts international capital.”