Why 3 Billion Adults Are Still Missing from the Global Financial System

A report released on Friday, January 30, 2026, by the Atlantic Council reveals a $10 trillion growth opportunity in the global “Inclusive Finance” sector, identifying a “three billion person challenge” that remains the final frontier for the global economy.

The report, titled “A Three Billion Person Challenge,” points out that although there has been considerable progress in providing access to financial accounts among adults in low- and middle-income economies, there is a huge gap when it comes to the actual usage of these accounts, as well as access to the right kind of credit.

“Three billion (3B) of the six billion adults globally have yet to use formal sector credit in any form. This is according to the newly released Atlantic Council report titled “a three billion person challenge,” part of the report read.

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Barriers to Entry

According to the report, there are 4.84B adults in low and middle-income economies, including Kenya, of which 2.5B adults representing 51% have accounts but do not borrow formally.

Of the twenty-four percent (24%) who borrow formally (About 1B adults) does not necessarily have the type of credit they need.

Speaking during the company’s 2026 media breakfast at Tala’s offices in Nairobi, where the report was first -released in Kenya following its official launch in Washington DC, Ann Stella Mumbi, General Manager, Tala-Kenya, stated that the major reasons why adults in Low and Middle Income Economies (LMIEs) do not adopt the use of formal digital financial services are affordability, lack of trust in the service providers, and lack of products to meet the needs of the customers.

“The problem we began solving ten years ago is still very much present today. While the issue of access to credit has positively progressed, usage is still a problem. From our perspective, lack of trust in financial services providers is the critical factor in play. Therefore, the findings and recommendations from this report have reinvigorated our resolve to provide our customers with choice, awareness and control, and continue to treat them as true consumers who have potential like the rest of us, “Ann Stella Mumbi said.

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The Future of Global Finance

Tala has been working with over 13 million customers in the past decade, covering three continents with $7B disbursed in credit.

The company further penetrated Latin America with three new markets (more to come in 2026). Tala introduced on-chain lending with Huma and Solana in December of last year.

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The image shows the CBK headquarters in Nairobi Kenya