Written by The Banking Post
Women in Bangladesh are joining the formal banking system at a record pace, with both deposit and loan accounts more than doubling in just five years, Bangladesh Bank data shows.
Female-owned deposit accounts rose from 33.45 million in 2019 to 55.32 million in 2024, lifting women’s share of total deposit accounts from 30% to 35%. Credit access grew even faster: loan accounts held by women jumped from 918,480 to over 2.15 million, raising their share of all bank loans from 8.31% to 16.49%.
The central bank credits this progress to targeted measures, including collateral-free loans of up to Tk 2.5 million, mandatory quotas for SME lending, and dedicated refinance schemes such as the Tk 30 billion Small Enterprise Refinance Scheme for women. Every bank now operates Women Entrepreneurs Development Units and Dedicated Desks to provide guidance and loan support.
Analysts say the growth reflects both rising demand and stronger policy support. “The surge in women’s loan and deposit accounts is a promising sign,” said one policy expert. “The next step is expanding larger credit access, digital products, and financial literacy so that inclusion translates into real economic empowerment.”
To track progress, Bangladesh Bank has also introduced a Women’s Financial Inclusion Data Dashboard, the first in South Asia to provide real-time, sex-disaggregated banking data.
Looking ahead, the regulator has set a target that 15% of CMSME loans must go to women entrepreneurs by 2029. Stakeholders caution, however, that social barriers and limited financial literacy still hinder women from scaling their businesses.
Even so, the doubling of women’s loan accounts within five years signals strong policy momentum toward narrowing the gender gap in finance.
