The Bank of France has published the 2025 annual report of the Observatory for Banking Inclusion, setting out the main indicators for financial inclusion in France. The report points to stronger identification and protection of financially vulnerable customers, with banks identifying 4.8 million customers as financially fragile at end-2025, up 5.1% from 2024, and 1.2 million people benefiting from the fragile customer offer (OCF), up 5.8%. At the same time, it warns that overindebtedness continued to rise, particularly among younger adults, and that the growing use of installment payments and minicredits is increasing risks for vulnerable groups. Overindebtedness filings rose 9.8% in 2025 compared with 2024, although the level remained 32% below 2015. People aged 18 to 29 accounted for 12% of filers in 2025, up from 5% in 2022. The report says installment payments and minicredits represented 14.6% of consumer credit excluding overdrafts in 2025 and continues to recommend that all lenders systematically consult the national register of personal credit repayment incidents before granting credit. It also notes that banking charges for financially fragile customers and OCF beneficiaries have fallen significantly in recent years. The report describes microcredit as a key inclusion tool, with outstanding personal and business microcredit up 10% to EUR 2.3 billion and more than 500,000 people in job market integration or reintegration having benefited over the past five years. It also flags risks to the funding of the microcredit guarantee scheme provided by the Social Cohesion Fund. The stronger framework for installment payments and minicredits under the new Consumer Credit Directive is due to apply from November 2026.

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