TransUnion 2026 Credit Perception Index Launch

TransUnion’s 2026 Credit Perception Index (CPI) report reveals that the Philippines’ credit score reached a record-high 75 out of 100, driven by notable increases in product trust, favorability, and knowledge. This growth occurred despite consumer financial confidence softening to a four-year low due to ongoing pressures from inflation, energy prices, and rising living costs. To adapt to these economic challenges, Filipinos are taking proactive measures by prioritizing savings, exploring financial technology, and actively seeking out educational resources to improve their financial wellbeing.

A significant shift is also underway in consumer borrowing habits, with preferences moving rapidly away from informal networks toward formal financial institutions. Future borrowing intent dropped sharply for family and friends while surging for digital banks, traditional banks, and credit cards. Digital banks have particularly captured consumer momentum, surpassing traditional banks in consumer familiarity and favorability while recording high scores for perceived safety, which reflects a broader rise in the adoption of eWallets, buy now, pay later services, and personal loans.

Sustaining this positive trajectory toward financial inclusion requires addressing ongoing educational barriers, as one-quarter of Filipinos still struggle to find clear, trustworthy information about credit products. Consumers report that transparency, low interest rates, and robust security are vital trust drivers that encourage financial engagement. Stakeholders across the public and private sectors—including credit bureaus like TransUnion and regulators like the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas—continue to collaborate on enhancing financial literacy, consumer protection, and responsible data sharing to build a more resilient financial ecosystem.