93% of Banks Exploring CBDCs: India, EU, UK Leading the Charge
Are central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) the future of finance? A recent Bank for International Settlements (BIS) survey in 2025 reveals that a staggering 93% of surveyed central banks are exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC). This signifies a major shift in how financial institutions view digital currencies and their potential impact on global economies. The survey included 86 central banks.
The BIS report, released in July 2025, highlights that central banks are proceeding at their own pace, with more than half engaging in "concrete experiments." The share of central banks involved in a CBDC project has risen dramatically, now encompassing 93% of those surveyed. This intense exploration suggests a growing consensus on the importance of understanding and potentially implementing CBDCs.
Major regions including India, the EU, and the U.K. are seriously intending to issue a digital version of their fiat currencies, according to the BIS report. This focused intent in key economic zones indicates a potential for significant advancements and real-world implementations of CBDCs in the near future. Of the 86 central banks surveyed by BIS, 93% are now undertaking CBDC work, the study said, with major jurisdictions such as India, the U.K. and European Union all leading the way.
The 2025 BIS survey further indicates that 58 percent of central banks consider it likely that they will issue a CBDC. Based on current progress, the BIS anticipates another 15 retail and nine wholesale CBDCs could be launched by the end of the decade. This projection underscores the momentum building behind CBDC development globally. More than 60 central banks have some form of CBDC project.
When analysing interbank or wholesale projects, Thailand and Hong Kong rank joint first, ahead of Singapore, Canada and the UK.
Stay informed as we continue to track the progress and implications of this rapidly evolving landscape of central bank digital currencies.