The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that its composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) rose to 70 for the year ending March 2026, an increase of 4.48% over the previous year. The FI-Index captures the extent of financial inclusion across the country on a scale of 0 to 100, and the RBI said the improvement was driven largely by growth in the usage dimension. The index was constructed by the RBI in consultation with the government and sector regulators, and the annual gain reflects wider access to and deeper use of banking, insurance, pension and investment services across India.
Key Facts & Details
7 points- 1The RBI's Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) rose to 70 for the year ending March 2026.
- 2This marks a 4.48% increase over the previous financial year.
- 3The index is measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values denoting greater financial inclusion.
- 4The FY26 improvement was driven mainly by growth in the usage parameter.
- 5The FI-Index was constructed by the RBI in consultation with the government and stakeholders.
Deep Dive
- +The FI-Index comprises three broad parameters — Access, Usage and Quality — that together capture ease of and depth of financial services.
- +It is published annually and serves as a policy tool to track progress on financial inclusion.
Exam Focus
What was the value of the RBI's Financial Inclusion Index for FY26 and by how much did it rise?
Related Topics
Exam Relevance & Angle
Index values with exact figures are classic General Awareness MCQs across banking and SSC exams. The FI-Index score of 70 and the 4.48% rise are precise, high-recall facts.
Target Exams
Background & Context
The RBI introduced the Financial Inclusion Index in 2021 to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country in a single number on a 0–100 scale. It is built on three broad parameters — Access (35%), Usage (45%) and Quality (20%) — and incorporates details of banking, investments, insurance, postal and pension sectors. Financial inclusion means ensuring affordable access to formal financial services for all sections of society, a key goal underpinning schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana.
Test Yourself
1 / 2The RBI's Financial Inclusion Index for the year ending March 2026 stood at:
Source
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