Ghana Ranks Third in Africa for Adult Bank Account Ownership
Ghana has emerged as the third-ranked country in Africa for financial inclusion, with 81% of its adult population holding a bank or mobile money account, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Findex 2025 report.
Kenya topped the continental ranking with 90% of adults owning an account, while Mauritius placed second. South Africa followed Ghana in fourth position, with Eswatini ranking tenth at 65%.
The report underscores account ownership as a key global benchmark for financial inclusion, reflecting access to and participation in the formal financial system. It noted that 79% of adults worldwide now hold an account with a bank, credit union, microfinance institution, post office, or mobile money provider.
Account ownership rates, however, remain uneven across economies. Of the 139 countries covered, high-income nations such as Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands recorded universal access at 100%, while low-income Niger registered only 15%, reflecting stark disparities.
Globally, account ownership has expanded significantly since the first cycle of Findex data collection in 2011. The share of adults with accounts rose from 51% in 2011 to 79% in 2024 — a 28-percentage-point increase. Growth was faster in low- and middle-income economies, which recorded a 34-point jump from 42% in 2011 to 75% in 2024, compared with a 7-point rise in high-income countries.
The report, titled Connectivity and Financial Inclusion in the Digital Economy, highlighted that while the aggregate trend is upward, individual countries have experienced varying levels of progress, with digital financial services driving much of the growth in Africa.
