Measuring Financial Inclusion : The Global Findex Database

This paper provides the first analysis of the Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) Database, a new set of indicators that measure how adults in 148 economies save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. The data show that 50 percent of adults worldwide have an account at a formal financial institution, though account penetration varies widely across regions, income groups and individual characteristics. In addition, 22 percent of adults report having saved at a formal financial institution in the past 12 months, and 9 percent report having taken out a new loan from a bank, credit union or microfinance institution in the past year. Although half of adults around the world remain unbanked, at least 35 percent of them report barriers to account use that might be addressed by public policy. Among the most commonly reported barriers are high cost, physical distance, and lack of proper documentation, though there are significant differences across regions and individual characteristics.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Demirguc-Kunt, Asli, Klapper, Leora
Format: Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012-04
Subjects:ACCESS BARRIERS, ACCESS TO ACCOUNTS, ACCESS TO CREDIT, ACCESS TO FINANCE, ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES, ACCESS TO SAVINGS, ACCOUNT HOLDERS, ACCOUNT OWNERSHIP, ACCOUNTING, AFFORDABILITY, AGRICULTURE, ALTERNATIVE BANKING, ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING, ASSET ACCUMULATION, ATM CARD, ATM CARDS, AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES, BANK ACCOUNT, BANK BRANCH, BANK BRANCHES, BANK REGULATION, BANKING SECTOR, BANKING SERVICES, BANKS, BARRIER, BENCHMARK, BENCHMARKING, BONDS, BROAD ACCESS, BUSINESS PURPOSES, BUSINESSES, CELL PHONE, CENTRAL BANK, CHECKING ACCOUNT, COMMODITIES, CONSUMERS, CORRUPTION, CREDIT ASSOCIATION, CREDIT CARD, CREDIT CARDS, CREDIT UNION, CULTURAL NORMS, DATA COVERAGE, DEBIT CARD, DEBIT CARDS, DEPOSIT, DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS, DEPOSIT INSURANCE, DEPOSITS, DEVELOPING ECONOMIES, DEVELOPMENT POLICY, DISCRIMINATION, DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS, EARNINGS, ECONOMIC CRISES, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, EDUCATION LEVEL, ELECTRONIC BILL, ELECTRONIC PAYMENT, ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS, EMERGING MARKETS, EMPLOYER, EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, ENTREPRENEURS, ENTRY POINT, EXCLUSION, EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, EXPATRIATES, FINANCES, FINANCIAL ACCESS, FINANCIAL CRISIS, FINANCIAL DEPTH, FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, FINANCIAL LITERACY, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL OUTREACH, FINANCIAL PRODUCTS, FINANCIAL SERVICE, FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FINANCIAL SYSTEM, FINANCIAL SYSTEMS, FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, FORMAL BANKING, FORMAL BORROWING, FORMAL CREDIT, FORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, FORMAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, FORMAL FINANCIAL SECTOR, FORMAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, FRAUD, GDP, GDP PER CAPITA, GENDER, GENDER GAP, GEOGRAPHIC ACCESS, GINI COEFFICIENT, GOVERNMENT SECURITIES, GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES, HOUSEHOLD ACCESS, HOUSEHOLD FINANCE, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLDS, INACTIVE ACCOUNT, INCOME CATEGORY, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME GROUP, INCOME GROUPS, INCOME INEQUALITY, INCOME LEVELS, INEQUALITY, INFLATION, INFORMAL LENDER, INFORMAL SAVING, INFORMAL SAVINGS, INNOVATIONS, INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INSURANCE PRODUCTS, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON, ISLAMIC LOAN, LACK OF AWARENESS, LIFE EXPECTANCY, LIVESTOCK INSURANCE, LOAN, LOW-INCOME ECONOMIES, MICROFINANCE, MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION, MIDDLE-INCOME ECONOMIES, MINIMUM BALANCES, MOBILE BANKING, MOBILE PHONE, MOBILE PHONE SUBSCRIBERS, MOBILE PHONES, MORTGAGE, NATIONAL INCOME, NEW PRODUCTS, ONLINE PAYMENTS, OPEN ACCESS, OUTSTANDING LOAN, PAYMENT SYSTEMS, PENSION, PERSONAL ASSET, PERSONAL FINANCES, PHONE NUMBERS, PHONE PENETRATION, PHYSICAL ACCESS, PHYSICAL DISTANCE, POST OFFICE, POST OFFICES, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTIVITY, PROPENSITY TO SAVE, PUBLIC POLICIES, PUBLIC POLICY, RECEIPT, REGRESSION ANALYSIS, REGULATORS, RELIABILITY, REMITTANCE, REMITTANCES, RESULT, RESULTS, RETAIL STORE, RETAIL STORES, RISK MANAGEMENT, SAVINGS, SAVINGS ACCOUNT, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, SAVINGS BEHAVIOR, SAVINGS BONDS, SAVINGS GROUP, SECURITY CONCERNS, SECURITY RISKS, SELF-EMPLOYMENT, SMALL ENTERPRISES, SOURCE OF INCOME, SUPERVISION, SUPPLY OF CREDIT, TELEPHONE, TELEPHONE COVERAGE, TELLERS, TERM CREDIT, TRADITIONAL BANKING, TRANSACTION, TRANSACTIONS COSTS, TRANSITION ECONOMIES, USER, USERS, USES, WAGES, WEALTH, WEB, WIRE TRANSFERS, WITHDRAWAL FEES, WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS, Microdata Set,
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/04/16232817/measuring-financial-inclusion-global-findex-database
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6042
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Summary:This paper provides the first analysis of the Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) Database, a new set of indicators that measure how adults in 148 economies save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. The data show that 50 percent of adults worldwide have an account at a formal financial institution, though account penetration varies widely across regions, income groups and individual characteristics. In addition, 22 percent of adults report having saved at a formal financial institution in the past 12 months, and 9 percent report having taken out a new loan from a bank, credit union or microfinance institution in the past year. Although half of adults around the world remain unbanked, at least 35 percent of them report barriers to account use that might be addressed by public policy. Among the most commonly reported barriers are high cost, physical distance, and lack of proper documentation, though there are significant differences across regions and individual characteristics.