Commentary
Half of central banks have yet to adopt ISO 20022 in RTGS systems
Adoption rate increased sharply in 2025 with more planning to upgrade soon
Instant payment system adoption grows 16.5% year on year
Most central banks either have a system or plan to launch one
Near-24/7 RTGS systems more susceptible to outages
Central banks with longest uptime also report highest number of contingency sites
Most RTGS systems projected for upgrade within a year
Two in three RTGSs operating 13–16 hours daily to be upgraded within a year
Central banks value tokenisation for efficiency and security
Respondents see less value in crypto or stablecoin payments
Budget and RTGS operating expenses rise year on year
Share of central banks charging both fixed and varied fees for RTGS access grows
Most central banks operate RTGS seven to 12 hours daily
Respondents processed over $6 trillion via system in 2024
Number of non-banks with RTGS access rises year on year
Middle income central banks account for largest number of connections
Half of retail payment sectors saw diversification last year
Changes include regulations, technology and rate of participation
Two-fifths of central banks leave payment fees unregulated
Middle income institutions more likely to regulate prices than other respondents
Larger teams more likely to oversee payments networks
Most central banks have general mandate to safeguard all payment systems
Quarter of payments departments report resourcing issues
Average number of FTE employees increases year on year to 40
Over half of central banks employ strategic progress monitoring tools
Just a quarter of jurisdictions evaluate success with external means
Most central banks gauge strategic plans with KPIs
Respondents reveal KPI use cases in operations and compliance with mandate
Central banks rate strategic plan visibility and authority highest
Resourcing tends to be somewhat more challenging across jurisdictions
Third of central banks link staff remuneration to strategic plan
Strategic planners are paid $40,000 on average per year
Strategic plans widely integrated into staff annual reviews
Staffing averages just under five persons in strategic planning units
Strategic control often operates on quarterly cycle
Banks with centralised strategic planning also tend to centralise strategic control
Governing boards approve majority of strategic plans
Departmental heads widely assigned implementation duties
Three in four central banks use dedicated strategic units
Units typically have a direct reporting line to the governor
Events are top channel for strategic plan communication
But over half of plans lack a framework for communication
Digital transformation and payments are major strategic goals
But few respondents prioritise AI or mandate changes
Strategic planning is ad hoc in 10% of central banks
Strategic plan-setting frequency averages 3.8 years across institutions
Strategic plans tend to be built around six key pillars
Central banks split on whether planning is broad or narrow