How has Filipino financial literacy changed since 2021?

Only 43% of adults said they were satisfied with their current financial situation.

Filipino adults showed higher financial literacy in 2025, although knowledge of interest rates and formal saving remained uneven, according to the 2025 Consumer Finance and Inclusion Survey by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Nearly three in four adults, or 74%, correctly answered at least half of six financial literacy questions, up from 69% in 2021. However, only 60% considered themselves financially literate.

Knowledge of risk and diversification was relatively strong, whilst understanding of interest rates, particularly compound interest, remained weaker.

Budgeting was also common, with 86% of adults reporting that they had a personal budget. However, only 43% said they were satisfied with their current financial situation.

When households had surplus money, 44% said they kept it in a piggy bank or vault. Another 21% used the money to help parents, relatives or other family members, whilst 17% deposited or saved it in a bank.

Only 15% said they invested surplus funds in a business, whilst 11% used the money for tuition and another 11% for education plans. About 8% used extra money to pay debt.

Awareness of formal financial products was highest for loans, with 73% of adults familiar with them. 

Insurance followed at 68%, whilst 65% were aware of deposit accounts and 63% knew about e-money wallets.

Awareness stood at 61% for both pawning and credit cards, 53% for investments and 49% for QR code payments.

Around 41% were aware of foreign currency exchange services and InstaPay or PESONet.

Virtual assets had the lowest awareness amongst the products listed at 20%, although this was up from 6% in 2021.

The survey also showed relatively high awareness of basic digital financial security practices. 

About 78% of Filipinos said they would not share their bank account password or PIN, whilst the same share said they avoided publicly sharing personal information online.

Meanwhile, 64% said they checked whether financial providers were regulated before making online purchases. The same proportion recognised the risks of personal data being used for digital profiling and data-driven marketing.