Financial inclusion gains mask deeper household vulnerabilities

Staff Writer

Namibia has made significant progress in expanding access to financial services, but the country’s financial inclusion gains have not yet translated into stronger household resilience, savings growth and productive economic activity, according to an analysis by Simonis Storm.

The financial services firm, analysing findings from the 2025 Namibia Financial Inclusion Survey, said policymakers should look beyond headline inclusion figures and focus on whether financial products are improving household stability, wealth creation and economic participation.

The survey estimates that 86.0% of Namibians aged 15 and older, approximately 1.5 million people, now use at least one formal or informal financial product, compared with 78.0% in 2017. Over the same period, financial exclusion declined from 22.0% to 14.0%.