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Latest benchmarking
Payments Benchmarks 2026 report – upgrades and alignment
Payments are undergoing a rapid process of evolution. While the benchmarks highlight some central banks working on cutting-edge technology like atomic settlement, it is more standard forms of payment where some of the most significant gains are being realised. Over 70% of jurisdictions now have an instant retail payment system, up from 56.4% two years ago and 51.4% in 2022, the first year that benchmarking data is available. A further 17.4% of respondents are planning a launch.
Central banks laying ground for multi-currency settlement
Africa leads as region with most RTGS systems able to settle multiple currencies
Over 70% of jurisdictions now have an instant payments system
Nearly a fifth of central banks plan to launch a system in the future
AML/CFT seen as biggest barrier to improving cross-border payments
All African central banks say AML/CFT compliance is a major challenge
Three in 10 instant payment systems built in-house
Montran is most widely-used commercial partner for development
Inter-bank working groups
Facilitating connections between central bankers across the globe to promote the exchange of expertise and support collaboration.
Upcoming meetings include: Cyber risk management, social media in communications and upgrading forecast models.
Model banks
Strategic Planning Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Governance Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Fintech Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Communications Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Monetary Policy Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Reserve Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Financial Stability Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Supervision Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Payments Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Strategic Planning Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Governance Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Charts
Swot vs Pestel
Swot analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) is the most widely used strategic planning framework among central banks worldwide. However, European banks favour political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal (Pestel). The balanced scorecard is less common globally but used in around half of American central banks.
For the full breakdown, use the benchmarking service’s interactive charts to explore the data.
Reports
Payments Benchmarks 2026 report – upgrades and alignment
Strategic Planning Benchmarks 2026 report – digital strategy
Governance Benchmarks 2026 – legal matters
Fintech Benchmarks 2026 report – the digital asset race
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 report – tracking op risk
Cross-Benchmarks Staffing Report 2025: tackling shortages
Communications Benchmarks 2025 report – getting social
Cross-Benchmarks AI Report 2025: a question of creative destruction
Monetary Policy Benchmarks 2025 report – risk-based policy
Reserve Benchmarks 2025 report – tariff realignment?
Financial Stability Benchmarks 2025 report – the threat from tariffs
Supervision Benchmarks 2025 report – digital oversight
Benchmarks
Communications
Currency
Economics
Financial Stability
Fintech
Governance
Monetary Policy
Payments
Reserves
Risk Management
Strategic Planning
Supervision
Strategic Planning Benchmarks 2026 report – digital strategy
Benchmarks reveal widespread data use, AI as a growing focus and ongoing digital transformation
One in five central banks regulates stablecoins
Most respondents are indifferent on use of stablecoins for payment
Number of unplanned outages in RTGS systems doubles
Central banks with longest average downtime typically plan to upgrade system within a year
Two-thirds of RTGS systems now aligned with ISO 20022
Over 80% of central banks aligned with CPMI harmonised standards