As an Associate Member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), this Banking on Values Day (10th November), we’re joining 70+ values-based banks around the world to highlight the impact of financial inclusion.
Financial inclusion is often measured by the number of people who have a bank account. From that perspective, progress has been substantial: 79% of adults globally had an account in 2024, up from 62% a decade earlier, according to the World Bank. Yet for many individuals, communities, and businesses, access alone does not guarantee meaningful participation in the economy.
Financial products and services can do little to improve financial wellbeing when they are difficult to use, unaffordable, poorly matched to people’s needs or disconnected from wider support systems. Put simply, access does not always translate into inclusion.
This distinction is at the heart of the GABV’s vision on financial inclusion. To better understand the different layers of financial exclusion, the GABV surveyed its member institutions across 45 countries.
The findings underpin Faces of Inclusion, the theme of Banking on Values Day 2026, which explores who is being left behind, the barriers they face, and how values-based banks are responding.
The cost of exclusion
14-30% growth: Broader access to financial services could boost GDP by up to 14% in large emerging economies and as much as 30% in frontier economies. Source: EY
USD 2.1–2.6T: The financing gap holding back small businesses and entrepreneurs in developing economies. Source: IFC
1 in 2 adults: In emerging and developing economies cannot cope financially with an unexpected emergency. Source: World Bank
740M women: In developing economies remain outside the formal financial system, limiting economic participation. Source: World Bank
To explore the many faces of exclusion, banks across the GABV were surveyed about the barriers that still prevent people, businesses, and communities from fully participating in economic life. The survey reveals a consistent picture of who remains underserved and why.
Most excluded: Among participating institutions, low-income households were identified most frequently as facing financial exclusion (53%), followed by migrants and refugees (45%), rural communities (41%), and women (29%).
Main barriers: The lack of collateral or eligibility requirements is considered the most significant barrier to financial inclusion (62% of respondents), followed by limited financial literacy or awareness (42%), lack of documentation or legal identity (38%), high cost of financial services (29%), and products and services not adapted to people's needs (27%).
Better approaches: When respondents were asked which approaches are most effective in advancing financial inclusion, three solutions emerged clearly above all others: Relationship banking (52%), Tailored financial products (50%) and Financial literacy initiatives (41%).
Across many markets, GABV banks described financial exclusion as dependence on informal lenders, inability to access affordable credit, limited opportunities to start or expand businesses, and increased vulnerability to economic shocks. Several institutions specifically highlighted the risk that excluded individuals and enterprises become dependent on predatory lending arrangements.
Mutually valuable banking
At Unity Bank, we strive to deliver Mutually valuable banking for our people, our communities and our planet. We’re constantly working towards ensuring our products, services and platforms are accessible and inclusive.
As a member-owned bank, Unity Bank was established when groups of like-minded workers and communities came together with the purpose of providing key worker groups with financial services that prioritised members over profit. From the beginning, our guiding principles were embedded in mutuality and community spirit. We remain passionate about helping people achieve their financial goals and understand that this looks different for everyone.
Affordable housing is a source of financial wellness and financial inclusion, as well as being a fundamental aspect of building strong, inclusive communities. Unity Bank offers home ownership pathways to help those who may otherwise struggle to achieve their financial goals. We are proud to have been a participant lender under the Australian Government’s 5% Deposit Scheme since its inception, to help even more eligible home buyers realise their dream of home ownership. Following our participation in the NSW Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper and Victorian Homebuyer Fund, Unity Bank is currently participating in the Queensland Government's Boost to Buy Home Ownership Scheme, a shared equity initiative designed to improve access to home ownership for first-home buyers in Queensland. Unity Bank currently acts as the exclusive lender on the panel, playing a key role in delivering the scheme to eligible applicants who meet strict criteria, including income caps and property value limits.
For those ineligible for a place in these schemes, we also support first home buyers with our First Home Buyer Loan or Get Ahead Start Guarantor option, as suitable for their circumstances. Our Essential Worker Home Loan was designed to provide support for eligible essential workers, helping those who serve the community with the purchase of their own home.
We also seek to serve mature age Australians and their financial needs with products such as our Pensioner Plus Account and our Retirees Access Home Loan (Reverse Mortgage).
We have also implemented a number of accessibility initiatives including the National Relay Service, Translating and Interpreting Services, and directional notches and braille dots on our suite of cards.
We seek to support the vulnerable and those at risk, introducing initiatives and educational content around financial hardship, financial abuse, domestic and family abuse, scams and security, and online banking. We are part of the Respect and Protect initiative, promoting respect for women and to help protect against financial abuse. We have updated our terms and conditions to help prevent the misuse of products and services as a vehicle for abuse.
We support the Australian Mutuals Foundation-CUFA, who are dedicated to alleviating poverty and strengthening community resilience in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific by providing financial literacy education and financial inclusion initiatives. The foundation harnesses the strengths of the Australian mutuals and credit union sector to foster the resilience of vulnerable communities.
These are just some of the ways we help tackle financial exclusion and help build financial systems that are accessible, affordable and designed around peoples’ needs and circumstances. Together, we can help provide access to fair and meaningful financial services and establish financial inclusion as a human right.
For more insights on financial inclusion, read GABV’s latest article, available on the Banking on Values Day website.