Indian women gain accounts but still lack control and financial know-how
Despite rising bank-account ownership, Indian women remain excluded from key financial decisions and often lack the literacy to protect their assets.
Stories of a 27-year-old widow in Kolhapur and a 75-year-old retired professor illustrate how Indian women can be barred from their own money after a spouse’s death. While account ownership now reaches 89.2% for women, formal savings and digital-payment usage remain well below men’s levels, according to the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025. Credit penetration for women aged 18-64 climbed from 1% in 2017 to 36% in 2025, yet many still lack the ability to evaluate products, plan for retirement or safeguard assets.
Analysts say historic household roles, where men handle investments and women manage day-to-day expenses, create a confidence gap that persists across income groups. Surveys by DBS Bank India and Deloitte show higher decision-making confidence among rural earners than among entrepreneurs or high-net-worth women. Stakeholders suggest schools, banks and policymakers provide simple, multilingual resources and involve women early in budgeting, savings and investment discussions to close the divide.
