Mobile money growth is part of the broader trend of digital financial services expansion across global economies. In 2025, global mobile money transactions exceeded $2 trillion, according to the latest report by GSMA.
The report states that transaction value has doubled since 2021. It took around 20 years for the sector to reach $1 trillion in annual transactions, and four years to reach $2 trillion.
There were 2.3 billion registered mobile money accounts in 2025. This is an increase of 268 million compared to the previous year. Active users reached 593 million on a 30-day basis, up 15% year-on-year. The global monthly activity rate was 25.7%.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for most new accounts. However, growth was also recorded in other regions.
Transaction value grew faster than transaction volume. The report notes that more than $2.1 trillion flowed through mobile money systems in 2025. Peer-to-peer transfers made up the largest share. Merchant payments reached $155 billion, rising by 42% year-on-year. Bank-to-mobile transfers totalled $167 billion, while mobile-to-bank transfers reached $163 billion.
The number of registered mobile money agents reached 30 million in 2025, up 16% from 2024. Around 11 million were active monthly. Agents handled $430 billion in cash-in transactions during the year.
Mobile money providers expanded into additional services. Credit remained the most common offering. Many providers issued small loans of up to $20. Savings and insurance services also increased. The number of providers offering insurance rose by nearly one-third.
The report states that almost 80% of surveyed providers were profitable in 2025. Average revenue per user increased by 15%, from $1.52 to $1.75.
At the same time, 75% of registered mobile money user accounts were inactive on a monthly basis. Fraud remains a reported issue. Some countries introduced transaction taxes, which affected usage levels.
Regulation had mixed effects. More than half of providers reported that rules on interoperability, know-your-customer requirements, and consumer protection supported growth. However, around a quarter of operators identified cross-border data transfer restrictions as a challenge.
A gender gap in account ownership persists. In seven out of ten countries surveyed, women were less likely than men to have a mobile money account or to use it actively.
