Bank Account Access Rises For Migrants And Refugees In Ecuador

More people in human mobility situations are getting access to Ecuador's formal financial system.

Between 2022 and 2025, the share of refugees and migrants with a bank account rose from 11% to 48%.

That figure was presented in Quito at a financial-inclusion event involving the Central Bank of Ecuador, the Junta de Política y Regulación Financiera y Monetaria, ACNUR, and representatives of the financial system.

Why It Matters

Ecuador hosts 636,981 refugees, asylum seekers, vulnerable migrants, and other people forcibly displaced, based on ACNUR data cited in the report.

ACNUR data also show that 81% of supported entrepreneurs use financial services, while 36% have accessed some form of credit.

Among participants in labor-insertion programs, 88% have a formal savings account and 9% report an increase in savings.

The policy signal is that financial access is being treated as part of integration, not just banking. For expats, that is useful context when watching how Ecuador's banks handle documentation, account access, and formal payment rails.