Financial inclusion is the delivery of financial services at affordable costs to all sections of society including disadvantaged and low-income segments, in contrast to financial exclusion where those services are not available or affordable. Financial refers to all types of financial services, including credit, savings, payments and credit, from all types of formal financial institutions.

An estimated 2 billion working-age adults globally have no access to the types of formal financial services delivered by regulated financial institutions. The availability of financial services that meet the specific needs of users without discrimination is a key objective of financial inclusion

Research in recent years has found direct correlation between financial inclusion and poverty reduction. The United Nations defines the goals of financial inclusion as being:

• access at a reasonable cost for all households to a full range of financial services, including savings or deposit services, payment and transfer services, credit and insurance;
• sound and safe institutions governed by clear regulation and industry performance standards;
• financial and institutional sustainability, to ensure continuity and certainty of investment; and
• competition to ensure choice and affordability for clients.

Financial inclusion impacts most directly on 3 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted at General Assembly in 2015 including Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere; Goal 8: promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all; and Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.