According to the latest data as of August 12, 2026, 59.04 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts held a combined balance of ₹3.15 lakh crore, representing a significant increase from the earlier reported ₹3.15 lakh crore. The data revealed that 328.9 million accounts were held by women, including transgender account holders, while 261.4 million accounts were held by men. However, the scheme faces significant challenges with 5.72 crore accounts holding zero balance and 15.37 crore classified as inoperative. The scheme has demonstrated remarkable growth since its launch, with beneficiaries increasing from 14.72 crore in March 2015 to the current 59.04 crore. The Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, confirmed these figures in response to activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur's RTI application dated September 1, 2026.
Uttar Pradesh emerged as the state with the highest number of zero-balance accounts at 95.92 lakh, followed by Bihar with 62.35 lakh, West Bengal with 37.20 lakh, Assam with 36.30 lakh, and Maharashtra with 36.04 lakh. For inoperative accounts, Uttar Pradesh led with 3.23 crore accounts, followed by Bihar with 1.59 crore, Madhya Pradesh with 1.35 crore, West Bengal with 1.02 crore, and Maharashtra with 97.94 lakh. Uttar Pradesh also had the highest overall number of PMJDY accounts at 10.51 crore, followed by Bihar with 7.01 crore, West Bengal with 5.73 crore, Rajasthan with 3.87 crore, and Maharashtra with 3.85 crore. The state-wise data covered 36 states and Union territories.
The RTI reply revealed important limitations in the central data collection, as the Centre does not centrally maintain gender-wise bifurcation of PMJDY account balances, zero-balance accounts and inoperative accounts. Additionally, information on accounts with balances below ₹100, accounts closed in the past five years, and accounts blocked or frozen due to suspicious transactions or cyber fraud was not maintained centrally. This highlights the need for improved data collection and analysis mechanisms to better understand the usage patterns and effectiveness of the financial inclusion scheme.
As UPI completes a decade, the focus has shifted from expanding financial access to improving usage, trust and consumer protection. During the government's 2025 financial-inclusion saturation campaign, banks undertook re-verification of KYC details for 2.32 crore inactive accounts by mid-September and were asked to contact holders of inoperative Jan Dhan accounts. The exercise highlighted that opening an account is an important first step, but sustained financial participation requires regular use. Financial inclusion therefore requires more than account ownership, with households needing reliable ways to save, receive payments, insure themselves, borrow where appropriate and resolve problems when transactions fail. An account that is rarely used contributes less to economic security than one integrated into a household's everyday financial life.
