- Global Money Week 2026 takes place from 16–22 March with the theme “Smart Money Talks”, focused on open conversations and practical money skills for young people.
- Central banks and regulators in Ireland, Malawi, Moldova, South Korea, Kosovo and Nigeria are rolling out campaigns on saving, budgeting, digital finance, fraud prevention and consumer rights.
- Events range from school outreach, public lectures and museum-style visits to masterclasses, competitions, online games and financial counseling for all ages.
- The OECD-led initiative now involves more than 170 countries and is becoming a key global platform for boosting financial literacy and long‑term financial well‑being.
From Dublin to Blantyre, from Seoul to Pristina, Global Money Week 2026 is bringing the theme “Smart Money Talks” to life with a packed schedule of activities aimed mainly at children and young adults. For one week in March, schools, universities, regulators and financial institutions are teaming up to make money matters less abstract and far more practical for the next generation.
Running from 16 to 22 March, the campaign is all about helping young people feel comfortable talking about money, building solid financial habits and making informed choices that will support their long‑term stability. Across more than 170 countries, central banks and partner organisations are putting theory into practice with workshops, competitions, campus visits, online content and hands‑on learning experiences.
What Global Money Week 2026 Is About
Global Money Week is a worldwide financial education campaign coordinated by the OECD’s International Network on Financial Education (INFE). Since 2012, it has been held every third week of March, mobilising central banks, ministries, schools, NGOs and industry bodies to put financial literacy on the public agenda.
The 2026 edition revolves around the slogan “Smart Money Talks”. The idea is simple: if young people can talk openly and confidently about money, they are more likely to understand products, spot risks, ask questions and seek help when needed. This year’s programmes therefore mix basic skills like saving and budgeting with newer topics such as digital payments, online safety and fraud prevention.
In many countries, the week also offers a chance to showcase ongoing financial education work and strengthen long‑term partnerships. Campaigns often extend beyond the seven days, but Global Money Week acts as a focal point to launch new initiatives, announce competitions and bring different stakeholders together in public events.
Ireland: National Campaign Led by the CCPC
In Ireland, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is once again coordinating the national Global Money Week 2026 campaign. The Irish programme places a strong emphasis on younger audiences, giving children and teenagers the chance to explore money management skills, attitudes and behaviours that support smarter financial decisions later in life.
Activities across the week focus on practical issues such as scams and fraud awareness, day‑to‑day budgeting, understanding transactions and asserting consumer rights. With support from an extensive network of public and private partners, workshops and classroom sessions are designed to make topics like interest, contracts or digital payments easier to grasp for students.
The CCPC launched the 2026 campaign at a national event held in Croke Park on Wednesday 11 March. The gathering highlighted the work already being done in financial education across the country and recognised students involved in the CCPC’s “Our Money, Our Future” sponsorship initiative, which encourages projects on money management and consumer issues.
Although the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, could not attend the launch in person, he shared a video message backing the initiative and underlining the importance of equipping young people with solid financial skills. The event brought together representatives from education, finance and consumer protection, signalling broad support for the campaign.
Throughout the week, the CCPC is also sharing a range of online content via its website and social media channels, including Instagram and Facebook. Young people and educators can supplement classroom activities with digital resources, while the CCPC encourages those interested to explore how other countries are taking part via the official Global Money Week website.
Irish Partner Organisations and OECD Coordination
The Irish campaign involves a wide mix of organisations from across the financial ecosystem, each contributing expertise, resources or outreach. Among the partnering organisations supporting Global Money Week 2026 in Ireland are:
- An Post
- Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI)
- Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland (BSTAI)
- Central Bank of Ireland
- Citizens Information Board
- Department of Finance
- Euronext
- Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO)
- Institute of Bankers (IOB)
- Insurance Ireland
- Insurance Institute of Ireland (III)
- Irish Funds
- Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU)
- Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI)
- Life Insurance Association (LIA)
- Maths Week
- Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS)
- Oide
- Revenue
These partners help ensure that students hear from a broad spectrum of financial sector voices, from credit unions and insurers to investment firms and educators. Joint activities range from classroom visits to educational materials, with an emphasis on clear, jargon‑free explanations.
At an international level, Global Money Week is organised under the umbrella of the OECD International Network on Financial Education. The CCPC serves as Ireland’s national coordinator, linking domestic efforts with the broader global campaign and aligning activities with OECD guidance on financial literacy and consumer protection.
Malawi: Outreach in Schools and Communities
In Malawi, the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) is marking Global Money Week 2026 with an intensive financial education drive aimed at schools and the wider community. The launch event brought together key players from the financial sector, including the Bankers Association of Malawi and the Insurance Association of Malawi, underlining sector‑wide backing for the initiative.
Students from several nearby secondary schools — Chimwankhunda CDSS, Namiwawa CDSS, Catholic Institute (C.I) CDSS and Manja CDSS — took part in the opening ceremony, signalling the campaign’s focus on reaching young people where they are. The presence of learners at the launch helped to shape the tone of the week’s activities around their needs and questions.
RBM Deputy Governor responsible for operations, Dr. Kisa Simwaka, explained that the central bank and its partners will step up financial education campaigns throughout the week. Plans include outreach in schools and colleges, where students will attend sessions on saving, budgeting, digital finance, customer protection and responsible money management.
According to Dr. Simwaka, Global Money Week provides a key opportunity for financial institutions to explain financial services in a way that young people can understand, helping them navigate increasingly complex products and channels. By meeting students on their own ground, the RBM hopes to foster early habits of planning, comparison and critical thinking about money.
Education Division Manager for the South West Education Division (SWED), Feggie Mphasi Mwale, welcomed the initiative as a valuable chance for learners. She highlighted that students are able to engage directly with actors from the financial sector on global money themes, rather than learning only from textbooks, which can make the concepts feel more concrete and relevant.
Moldova: Financial Education Week and Central Bank Initiatives
In Moldova, Global Money Week 2026 is aligned with a broader Financial Education Week led by the National Bank of Moldova (NBM). The activities target a wide audience, from schoolchildren and university students to employees and citizens who want to better understand public finance and the financial system.
The Ministry of Finance has been part of this international initiative since 2021, when it launched a national financial education campaign. Within Global Money Week this year, the NBM is concentrating on helping children and young people make more responsible financial decisions, combining theoretical explanations with interactive formats.
The week opened with a public lecture by NBM Governor Anca Dragoo, who addressed the financial responsibility of citizens and the kinds of choices that can shape their personal and professional futures. Her talk connected everyday financial decisions — such as borrowing, saving or investing — with broader life trajectories.
The programme also features interactive masterclasses and daily study sessions that walk participants through how monetary policy decisions are made, what digitalisation means for the financial system and the basic rules for secure online payments. These sessions aim to demystify central banking and show how policy decisions filter down to households and businesses.
As part of Global Money Week, the NBM is organising guided visits to its exhibition hall, where visitors can learn about the history of the national currency, view collections of commemorative gold and silver coins and explore the security features of the Moldovan leu. The goal is to blend historical context with practical knowledge about recognising authentic banknotes.
Global Money Week, launched 14 years ago and now involving 176 countries including Moldova, has become a recurring fixture in the NBM’s education calendar. By combining lectures, museum‑style visits and hands‑on exercises, Moldovan authorities are trying to make complex financial topics easier for younger audiences to grasp.
South Korea: Policy Seminars and Lifelong Financial Learning
In South Korea, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service are leading a seven‑day Global Money Week 2026 campaign from 16 to 22 March. The country’s programme centres on the theme “Smart Money Talks”, with a particular focus on sharing real‑life financial experiences and enabling direct communication with experts.
On the opening day, the FSC and Financial Supervisory Service hosted a “Financial Education Activation Seminar” at the International Conference Hall of the Bankers’ Association building. Policymakers, practitioners and educators came together to discuss the future direction of financial education policy and strategies to expand access to financial counselling.
The seminar centred on topics such as “Financial Counseling for All” and “Finance and Economic Life”, exploring how education can change consumer behaviour and improve overall financial well‑being. Speakers examined ways to tailor programmes to different life stages and to embed financial learning into everyday decision‑making.
In his opening remarks, An Chang‑kook, Standing Commissioner of the FSC, stressed that in a rapidly changing, technology‑driven financial environment, improving financial literacy is more crucial than ever. He noted that better knowledge helps consumers make rational decisions about increasingly diverse products and platforms, from digital loans to investment apps.
The FSC also signalled plans to reinforce age‑specific financial education — covering youth, young adults and seniors — and to broaden counselling services for younger people who may be dealing with issues like student loans, first jobs or early investments. The idea is to move from one‑off sessions to a more continuous, life‑cycle approach.
During Global Money Week, 28 organisations including the Financial Supervisory Service, Bank of Korea, Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, Korea Inclusive Finance Agency and Korea Federation of Banks are offering a wide variety of programmes. These include on‑site classes, experiential learning, online lectures, financial games and quiz events tailored to different age groups and financial situations.
The campaign also places emphasis on specific target groups such as young adults, job seekers, military personnel and older citizens. For example, there are dedicated counselling services for young people, special credit education sessions for those seeking employment and experiential activities for members of the armed forces to familiarise them with everyday financial management.
For middle‑aged and senior participants, institutions are providing retirement‑focused content, including sessions on asset management in later life, tax‑related lectures and a retirement finance academy. These programmes tackle topics such as pension planning, tax obligations and strategies for managing savings as people leave the workforce.
Online tools also feature heavily. Through the Financial Supervisory Service’s “e‑Financial Education Center”, citizens can access digital courses, interactive experiences and participatory events such as financial literacy self‑assessment quizzes, investment fraud prevention tests and online board games. These resources aim to reach those who may not attend in‑person events but still want to strengthen their financial knowledge.
Kosovo: Competitions and Support for Young Economists
In Kosovo, the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK) has kicked off Global Money Week 2026 with a strong emphasis on competitions and practical learning. The opening ceremony highlighted an educational initiative called the “Stock Market Learning Competition”, aimed at helping university students understand how financial markets operate.
The event gathered Niclaus Bergmann, Managing Director of the German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation, Christian Böttcher, Deputy Ambassador of the German Embassy in Kosovo, students, university representatives and institutional partners. Their presence reflected the collaborative nature of the campaign, which blends domestic priorities with international expertise.
Global Money Week in Kosovo is described as part of an OECD‑coordinated campaign linking central banks, financial institutions and educational bodies, with the goal of raising awareness among young people about financial education and responsible decision‑making. The CBK is participating for the 13th year in a row, underlining its long‑term commitment to the initiative.
CBK Governor Ahmet Ismaili used his speech to stress the importance of financial education for empowering citizens and building a sustainable, inclusive financial system. He emphasised that the central bank is committed to consumer protection and financial inclusion, and that education is one of the tools to achieve those aims.
Over the years, the CBK has launched several measures to strengthen financial awareness, including a platform for comparing financial products and services, education activities with school pupils and university students, and programmes dedicated to improving access to finance for people with disabilities. Global Money Week activities connect to this broader strategy.
The “Stock Market Learning Competition” itself is organised in cooperation with the German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation. Through a trading simulation using the virtual Stuttgart stock exchange, students from Kosovo’s economics and business faculties can experiment with investment decisions, gaining a more practical sense of how markets behave.
In this year’s edition, 42 students from eight different faculties of economics and business in Kosovo took part, developing skills and knowledge about investment concepts and financial market dynamics. The competition culminated in awards for the most successful participants, reinforcing the educational and motivational aspects of the project.
During the opening ceremony, the CBK also honoured the winners of a financial quiz aimed at high school students, with six learners from various schools across the country receiving prizes. This helps extend Global Money Week activities beyond universities and into secondary education.
As part of the 2026 programme, the CBK announced the launch of the “Award for Young Economists”, inviting students and early‑career researchers to submit innovative research papers in economics and finance. The award is intended to encourage analytical thinking and original contributions to current financial debates.
Governor Ismaili also met with Niclaus Bergmann to discuss developments in Kosovo’s financial sector and continued cooperation on financial education and institutional capacity building. Throughout Global Money Week 2026, the CBK and its partners plan to run a series of educational initiatives, competitions and awareness‑raising campaigns targeting pupils and students across the country.
Nigeria: Safe Banking and Fraud Prevention Messages
Nigeria is using Global Money Week 2026 as a platform to reinforce key messages on safe banking and fraud prevention. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged bank customers to protect their financial information by never disclosing sensitive data like PINs and passwords, even to individuals claiming to represent their bank.
Through its public communication channels, including social media, the CBN is warning consumers about scams in which fraudsters pose as bank employees via phone, text or email in an attempt to obtain confidential details. The authority stresses that legitimate institutions will not ask customers for such information and that vigilance is essential.
Linking this advice directly to the global campaign, the CBN reminded the public that Global Money Week is about financial literacy, money management and consumer protection. As part of the 2026 observance, Nigerian institutions are placing particular emphasis on safe banking practices and on recognising the signs of fraudulent communication.
By centring its message on information security, the CBN is highlighting an increasingly important dimension of everyday financial literacy. In an environment where digital channels are widely used, understanding how to keep accounts secure is presented as just as vital as knowing how to budget or save.
Across all these countries, Global Money Week 2026 shows how a shared theme like “Smart Money Talks” can take on local shapes — from campus competitions and museum tours to policy seminars and social‑media campaigns. Whether through in‑person workshops, online tools or targeted guidance on fraud and digital finance, the common thread is giving young people the confidence and knowledge to handle money thoughtfully and to ask questions when something does not quite add up.
