4.3. Five questions that will shape the next phase of financial inclusion Will resilience replace access as the defining measure of success? 1 Access remains fundamental. But respondents increasingly judge success by whether households and enterprises can withstand and recover from shocks. Will resilience replace access as the defining measure of success? Can governance keep pace with AI? 3 Can governance keep pace with AI? AI is evolving rapidly — even exponentially. Whether regulation, institutional capacity and consumer protection can keep pace may prove just as important as the technology itself. Can financial inclusion remain truly inclusive? 5 Can financial inclusion remain truly inclusive? As institutions adapt to climate change, technological disruption and evolving funding models, can they continue to reach those who need financial services most or will the focus be on the ‘lower hanging fruit’ of less vulnerable, less risky, and more profitable segments? Will climate risk become part of mainstream financial inclusion? 2 Will climate risk become part of mainstream financial inclusion? Climate is no longer confined to agricultural finance or insurance. The question now is whether adaptation becomes embedded across products, institutions and investment decisions. Who will pay for inclusion? 4 Who will pay for inclusion? As donor priorities shift and commercial pressures grow, the future of inclusive finance will depend on how new forms of capital are mobilised — and where donors and other investors choose to invest. Menu Menu Close Close 1. Introduction, context & respondents 1.1. Welcome to the Financial Inclusion Compass 2026 1.1. Welcome to the Financial Inclusion Compass 2026 2. Results 2.1. A sector adapting on several fronts at once: what respondents told us 2.1. A sector adapting on several fronts at once: what respondents told us Five themes Introducing five broad themes from the responses Introducing five broad themes from the responses Analysis & implication 4.1. Difficult choices ahead 4.1. Difficult choices ahead 1.2. A listening exercise, not a census 1.2. A listening exercise, not a census 1.3. A diverse field of voices 1.3. A diverse field of voices 2.2. Shared concerns, different exposure 2.2. Shared concerns, different exposure 2.3. Where you sit shapes what you see 2.3. Where you sit shapes what you see From access to resilience From Access to Resilience Adapting to the new normal Adapting to the new normal Promise without guardrails Promise without guardrails Who pays for inclusion? Who pays for inclusion? Navigating a fragmented and complex landscape Navigating a fragmented and complex landscape 4.2. What does it all mean? 4.2. What does it all mean? 4.3. Five questions that will shape the next phase of financial inclusion 4.3. Five questions that will shape the next phase of financial inclusion 4.4. About the Compass 4.4. About the Compass